


Playing the Ward | Playing the Rogue

by PaperAnn



Series: Playing Charades [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Gabriel, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Compliant, Dean is Bad at Feelings, Dean/Cas Angst and Pining, Explicit Sexual Content, Love Confessions, M/M, Omega Sam Winchester, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive Gabriel, Sam Angst, Season/Series 05, Until Last Chapter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-10-19 09:50:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 29,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10637397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaperAnn/pseuds/PaperAnn
Summary: As the Apocalypse intensifies and Sam and Gabriel's relationship moves to the next level, Sam finds himself at a crossroads.  With Gabriel still in his own form of “witness protection” Sam is constantly second-guessing his place in the alpha's life.It was all so much easier when it was just sex and nothing more.  But now with sticky emotions, and the omega’s desire to mate, the pain of being apart weighs Sam down.Even though it’s not as one-sided as it seems, the end of the world is not only a massive cock block, but a pile-up of misunderstandings just waiting to happen.As if all that weren’t enough, shit’s about to get a whole lot more complicated.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second installment of the series "Playing Charades." If you haven't read part one: _Playing the Victim | Playing the Fool_ , you should or else you'll be quite lost.
> 
> So many thanks to my fantastic beta and lovely friend [dr-dean](http://dr-dean.tumblr.com/), for helping me out with editing this entire series, her friendship and support <3
> 
> Special thanks to [my Fishie](http://whataboutthefish.tumblr.com/) for editing the prologue for me, also! 
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys part two! Here comes some plot! xoxo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Absolutely gorgeous artwork was created by my darling [reaperlove](https://reaperlove77.tumblr.com/), who not only created all the amazing pieces for _Playing the Victim | Playing the Fool_ for the ABO Big Bang, BUT went out of her way to create the beautiful header for this fic! Send her ALL THE LOVE!!  <3

  
  
When Sam woke up in the morning, he was surrounded by the scent of his alpha, not only that, but he was still wrapped in warm arms, pressed skin to skin.  It was the best way he could remember waking up…ever.  But it was surprising, since Gabriel had said he would leave once the omega fell asleep.

“You’re still here?” Sam asked with a sleep-gruff voice and squeezed tighter, almost to prove to himself Gabriel really was there.

“Is that a problem?” he teased and surprised Sam further by kissing the top of his head.  “I was…doing some thinking.”

“And thinking got us naked?”  The omega pointed out, remembering how they’d appeared in the room fully clothed _and_ on top of the covers.

Now they were tucked in without obstruction, touching on every surface.

With a laugh, Gabriel countered, “It’s more comfortable, all right?  Wow.  You’re doing a lot of complaining this morning.”

“No,” Sam was quick to correct, “I’m happily surprised.  What were you thinking about?”

“Lotsa things.”  It seemed like Gabriel was tentatively giving an elusive disclaimer before he launched into his nightly musing.  “You, mostly.  Us, too.  How things have changed.  I can’t explain it, but I’m sure you’ve heard or read about it.  You and yer damn research-wired brain.  The bite _altered_ …shit.  And when you said you weren’t sorry, I guess I decided I wasn’t either.  But we’ve gotta be smart about this.  We can’t let this catch us with our pants down, figuratively _or_ literally.”

Sam could feel his heart swelling with joy at the admission, but he agreed, “I know.  We _will_ be smart.  I can feel some rules coming into play because I know you.”

“You hit the nail on the head.”  Gabriel shuffled them around so Sam was no longer curled up on his chest, but sharing the pillow with him so they could speak face to face.  “This bond.  Makes my alpha run wild, like it’s on steroids.  Makes me wanna protect you.  And _your_ fine ass gets happens to get into more trouble than anything on this planet; which is a problem for two reasons.”

Sam nodded for him to continue, watching closely while silently admitting that was true.

“There’s something I’m gonna take it back.”  The words were idle but Gabriel actually reneging on something?  That was big.    
  
“The whole play your roles thing from TV Land?  Shipping you off to Lucifer?  It ain’t happening.  You, Winchester, are _mine_.  You think of going anywhere near my brother and you’re gonna regret it.  Same goes for Dean with good ol' Mike.”    
  
With a huff, Gabriel had to admit in his late night dealings, he also came to conclude, “But the bitch of the matter is I’m not gonna get involved with angel business.  If your love of trouble lands you on the wrong end of the winged dicks?  I can’t bail you out.  There’s a reason I want ’em to think I’m dead.”  He reached forward to brush a stray strand off Sam’s brow.  “So far so good?"

“Yeah.”  And it was.  To know that Gabriel was no longer in support of their starring roles as Lucifer and Michael anymore felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest.  “We know how to deal with angels.  I won’t put you in that position.”

With a wiggle of his eyebrows, he commented lewdly, “Good, there are much better positions to put me into anyways.”

Sam groaned dramatically, but ducked his hand under the blankets to rest against Gabriel’s bare waist and tugged as a prompt.  “What’s the other part?”

“Now, I don’t know how much longer Cassie’ll keep his mouth shut.”  There was a meaningful look on Gabriel’s face, like he wanted Sam to jump in.  But when the omega didn’t - he was forced to continue.  “I mean it when I said he’s gaga for Dean.  He’ll slip up, tack isn't his strong suit.  Plus, your bro’s not as dumb as he looks and I don’t know if you want to be the one to tell him or not.”

Just to bait Gabriel and get his own question answered, Sam slowly pronounced, “What _exactly_ would I be telling him?”

Gabriel flashed him a ’bitch please’ glower, he evaded the inquiry with, “I don’t know.  What do you _think_ you should be telling him?”

“We’re stupid.”  Sam laughed out loud and leaned forward to kiss the tip of Gabriel’s nose.  “Alright, here’s my question for you.”

“Shoot.”

For the first time that morning, Sam appeared shy but held steady and refused to look away when he asked, “Are you going to mate me?”  When Gabriel looked cagey once more, the omega pressed him further.  “You were up all damn night thinking.  There’s no doubt that crossed your mind.  So just tell me.”

With a theatrical sigh, Gabriel admitted, “I don’t know.”  The moment Sam’s face fell, he corrected, “Your brother needs to know first or he’s gonna try to roast me in Holy Oil.  Then there’s the fact that I don’t know if the angels will be able to tell by the mark that it was made by me.  It’s not basic shit-list material, Sammy.  It’s _big-time_ blasphemy.  Where do you think nephilim come from?”  He raised a challenging arched eyebrow.

Sam fucking hated it because he was right.  Still, he had to amend the subject, “And if it couldn’t be linked back to you?” because his insecurities were slowly eating him alive.

It didn’t matter if they were here, wrapped up in one another.  If _Gabriel_ didn’t want him on the level _Sam_ wished he did - it would crush him.  After all, it was one thing to be physical.  They didn’t have a problem there.  Yet...if that’s all Gabriel wanted…Sam didn’t know what he’d do.  

The archangel was finally the one to break their stare, but it wasn’t to crush the moment, it was to glance at Sam’s neck.  With a heavy groan he admitted, “I could probably be talked into it pretty easily with yer goddamn puppy eyes.”

“Wow.  Look at that passion.”  Sam deadpanned, clearly unimpressed.

“Hey,” Gabriel’s voice was a bit sharper when he said, “I want to, okay?  So chill out on the bitchface.  But!  There’s also no point in getting either of our hopes up.”  A bit of silence lingered before he pressed their foreheads together and whispered, “Believe it or not…that _was_ what I spent most of the night thinking about.”  Sam felt the graze of fingertips over the spot on his neck that mirrored where he’d marked Gabriel.  “Thought about bringing up finishing it, making it official but…I don’t want to put either of us in danger.”

“You don’t want the angels to find you.”

“I don’t want Lucifer to tear you apart when he finds you.” Gabriel retorted and pushed Sam away.  “You don’t think he’ll flip about his vessel being ruined?  Marred?  It’s not gonna be waxed poetry to get you to say yes anymore, it’ll be pain, and torture and-”

“I would _never_ say yes to him!   _Dammit_ , Gabriel!”  Sam couldn’t control himself anymore, he couldn’t and wouldn’t hold back.  “If our time’s limited anyway, then why the fuck-!”

The omega was abruptly stopped when the door flew open and Dean marched in, demanding, “Sammy?!  What’s going-” only to freeze in his tracks.

Gabriel slapped a hand over his face and groaned, “Well, _that_ solves one problem.  Nice work, keeping the convo calm and hush-hush, kiddo.”

Finally coming out of his stupor, Dean charged the rest of the way into the room, shouting, “What did you do to my brother, you-!”

“This isn’t what it looks like!”  Sam sat up, forgetting Gabriel had mojo’d their clothes away and scrambled to yank the blanket to cover his crotch.  “Just- wait a second, I’ll be right-”

“I’m getting a fuckin’ angel blade, I swear to God!”  The alpha ran out of the room just as quickly, slamming the door and leaving a mix of righteous fury and embarrassment in his wake.  Both of them heard as he stumbled down the flight of stairs and a “ _Sonuvabitch_!” echoed through the stairwell.

“Shit.”  Sam ran a hand through his hair and looked down to see Gabriel had the audacity to appear thoroughly entertained and smug.  “You’re staying!  You need to be there or else he’s not going to understand…”

“Nah.”

The archangel tackled Sam to the bed, knowing they were on borrowed time and kissed him hard.  Just because he could - the cat being out of the bag and what not - he gave Sam a taste of his own medicine.  He brushed his teeth over the omega’s sensitive pulse point before sucking a mark into the skin of his throat.  Sam moaned loudly at the sensation, his hand looping around Gabriel and holding on for dear life.

He wished they had more time because the feeling, that teasing move, went right to his dick and he could feel slick beginning to leak out from him.  When Gabriel started to retreat, Sam refused, and drew him back in for a sloppy, filthy kiss.  The alpha couldn’t help but get tangled up in it and hissed when Sam nipped his bottom lip.

This time, it was Sam who pushed him away with a narrowed halfhearted glare, “Remember?  Angel blade?  Dean?”

“ _Fuck_ , you’re a tease.”  Gabriel’s voice was filled with lust as he stared at the omega.  “It’s been too long.  I’m gonna plow that tight ass into next week.  First chance I get.”

“Promise?”  Sam quipped right back, his hand grabbing Gabriel’s hard cock under the blankets.

He moaned and thrust into Sam’s fist, cursing under his breath before grunting, “Oh, you better believe it.”  He swatted Sam’s hand away and kissed him once more.  “Now, go tell your overprotective brother about our sexscapades and new illicit love affair.  While what you’re _really_ thinking about is my knot.”

“You’re wrong.”  The omega said smoothly, “I’ll be thinking about your knot, how much I love you, and when we’re mating.”

“That’s-” Gabriel appeared completely caught off-guard by Sam‘s candidness, which was damn near impossible to do.  “A lot on your mind.”  He shook his head with a smile.  “Best’a luck with that, Sasquatch.”

Then, with a peck of a kiss on Sam’s forehead, he was gone.

Sam took a few deep, centering breaths before he searched the small room to find where the hell Gabriel had put his clothes.  He had to grin when he found them neatly folded on a chair right next to the bed and he pulled them on as quickly as possible.

After all, he knew Dean.  There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that if he wasted anymore time he’d be pushing through the door for a second time, armed and ready.  And this round Sam planned on being _clothed_.

Why did it feel like he was walking to the gallows when he exited the room and headed to the stairs?  At least he’d begun the morning on a better note.  Before things headed south.

\------------------

“Sure managed to work ‘im up in a tizzy.”  It was Bobby who greeted Sam at the bottom of the stairs in his wheelchair.  “Before you go’n there, you gotta be straight with me.  Who’s this monster Dean’s rantin’ an’ ravin’ about?  Please don’t tell me you’ve relapsed.” Bobby glared at Sam looking for a clue as to what was going on.

“Everyone _always_ goes right to the nuclear option,” Sam groaned and decided to sit on the couch adjacent Bobby.  “I never relapsed on demon blood, Bobby.”

“I know.”

Sam was baffled for a moment, before the old hunter continued.

“Could see it, right away.  But I figured you had yer reasons for pretending.  Does it have anythin’ to do with what's happening now?”  He watched him closely and when Sam nodded cautiously, he gave him the time to speak.

He could only form one word: “Gabriel,” and Bobby’s eyes lit up in recognition.

“That Trickster archangel?”  The old alpha didn’t sound judgmental, simply curious.  “Huh.  Didn’t see _that_ one coming.  Worse things out there, but nothin’ _quite_ so powerful.  Suppose that’s what yer brother’s worried about.”  With a huff and a crooked smile, Bobby admitted, “That why you’ve been boozing your feelings away?  If my sniffer’s working, ’m guessing you patched things up.”

“And…you’re okay with all this?”  Sam tilted his head and scrunched his brow.

“We don’t choose who makes us happy, just does.”  He wheeled himself backwards, giving Sam a clear path to the kitchen, “Be glad you found it in time.”

“Thanks, Bobby.”  And he meant it, God, did he mean it.

Although it wasn’t a sure thing that Bobby was in his corner, at least someone understood.  He had a feeling he wasn’t going to get that lucky with his brother; it was time to face the music.

Sam finished the short walk and sat down in front of Dean, who was cradling a beer (which didn’t surprise him, even though it was still in the early hours) along with an angel blade _actually_ haphazardly set on the table ( _fuck_ , Sam realized he was _actually serious_ ) and zoned out on the table.  But the second the omega took his seat, the older Winchester snapped up with a barely-hidden fury and his scent exploded with defensive alpha.

Sam couldn’t seem to get away from that scent lately, all the friggin alpha’s surrounding him were always coated in it, like he was something fragile that need to be protected.

“What the hell are you thinking, Sam?!” he snarled in a low voice.  “Gabriel?  Fuckin’ _Gabriel_?!  How long has this been going on?  How long has he been fucking with your head?!”

“Dean…” Sam tried to get him to calm down with the tone he always used when his brother was wound too tight.  “We were just talking about how we were going to tell you, okay?  This isn’t him fucking with my head, this is…us.  We’re together.  Neither of us thought it was going to happen, but it did.”

“And how does that work, huh?”  Dean took a long pull from his bottle, “Wow!  You just randomly wake up in bed one morning, chalk it up to being a couple and _bam_!  We’re together?  Funny, I don’t remember relationships happening that way - they start somewhere, somehow, and they usually don’t involve people who’ve screwed us over.  On _multiple_ occasions!”

“You didn’t go through what I went through!  If anyone should be pissed at him, it’s _me_ and I forgave him!  And, yeah, we didn’t just wake up and decide to be together, but you do _not_ want the gory details, trust me.”  Sam puffed out an angry breath before he thought about what he could even recount.  “He only came because I prayed.  And…it was by accident.  Then…stuff happened.”

This _all_ sounded bad, it would _continue_ to sound bad the more he thought about it, and the omega had to find some way to salvage it.

“He was the one who told me we were dealing with the wraith, who it was, how to kill it.  He gave me grace, not demon blood to take out Famine-”

“Oh, just a regular friggin angel on your shoulder!”  Dean grumbled out, but then paused when he realized, “It wasn’t demon blood?  You faked it in the panic room?”

Sam nodded slowly, and quietly confessed, “It was easier to let you think that than explain…us.  I didn‘t really know what we were at the time.”

“He’s the reason you went into heat!”  The alpha was finally putting together all the pieces.  “Dammit, Sammy!  This isn’t you just getting boned by a monster, this is you obsessed, head over heels for the freak!”

“Yeah, it is!”  His voice boomed just as loudly as Dean’s.  “Which was why we were going to tell you!  Why aren’t you getting that?!”

“You’re being played.”  The alpha narrowed his eyes and spat out in disgust, “You don’t see it because you’re in too deep.  Remember?  He wanted us to play our roles?  What better way than seducing you, making you think that you actually matter to him and then shoving you into saying yes to Lucifer!”

Sam’s clenched fist was _itching_ to lash out and punch his brother across the face.  He was so close, but that wouldn’t solve anything.  He needed to be rational, he needed to think…

So instead, he calmly stated, “Call Cas.”

“What?”  Dean looked confused because it had come out of left field.  “Why would I call-?”

“Just do it.”

He rolled his eyes before he closed them and sarcastically prayed, “Dear Castiel, apparently my brother thinks you can help with a hell of a problem we’re having right now.  So if you’d kindly join us on this clusterfuck of a mess, that’d be-”

“Hello, Dean.”

The alpha jerked as the angel manifested directly into the seat at the edge of the table between the brothers.

“What’s the problem?  How may I be of assistance?”  He still appeared bashful around Sam after the thorough tongue-lashing and minor assault from Gabriel, but he glowed when he looked at Dean.  Per usual.

“Apparently my little dumbass of a brother thinks a monster like Gabriel is capable of giving a shit about him!”  Dean threw his arms in the air then slammed them back on the table, looking at Castiel, “Help me get it through his thick skull that he’s being used!  And whatever he _thinks_ is love is blinding him and-”

“Oh.  I thought you’d keep your relationship a secret for while longer,” the angel truthfully said to Sam and alluded, “Am I allowed…?” before turning to Dean when he gained permission.  “Your worries are unfounded.  Gabriel does love him, he’s already made the ultimate commitment.  I was surprised as well, but the only reason he wears Sam’s mark but doesn’t repay it is for your brother’s safety, Dean.  While I was shocked at first, once I sat and thought about it, even though it’s unprecedented it’s rather…admirable.”

Every cell in Dean’s body locked-up in a dead freeze.  “What?”

“I’m not ‘blinded,’ Dean.”  Sam hissed and gestured to Castiel, “Even he said it.  Why the fuck would Gabriel let me _mate him_ if he didn’t care about me?  Pretty elaborate scam, right?  To go to _those_ lengths?”

“Holy hell.”  The alpha wouldn’t look at his brother, he could only face the angel.  “You saw it?  With your own two eyes?”

Castiel nodded and reached out to grab Dean’s forearm in a steadying gesture, “Gabriel was wearing Sam’s mark.  Last night, I confronted your brother about something, and I admit I got a bit carried away in my…interrogation.  Gabriel appeared and reprimanded me, which I deserved, and I witnessed their relationship firsthand.  Dean, this is a _good_ thing.  He’s a powerful ally and he cares-”

The alpha tore away from Cas and barely glanced at his brother before he grunted under his breath, “I don’t believe this,” and rushed out of the kitchen.

There was a moment of stillness before Castiel turned to Sam and asked, “Did I make a mistake?”

“No, you did exactly what I needed you to do.”  The omega gave him a small smile and sighed, “Dean…walked in on us this morning.  Not like _that_ kind of walked in on us.  We were talking.  We were actually talking about how we were going to tell him, but that reveal was kind of taken away...”

Then Sam realized he was presented with the perfect opportunity.

He turned so quickly, the chair squeaked and moved with him as he demanded, “If Gabriel mated me, would it just be another mark?  Or would angels be able to tell that it was made by another angel?  Or, specially, _which_ angel marked me?”

Castiel blinked a few times before he sheepishly stated, “It’s blasphemy, Sam.  Now, before you become upset, I, personally, do not mean that.  But the point remains that I don’t have a definitive answer because it’s simply… _not_ done.”

Sam jumped in with, “But that could _just_ as easily mean it’d just be another mating mark, right?”

“Bonded with the power of an archangel?” Cas theorized, “I’m unsure anything would be ‘just another’ anything.”

“Could he be powerful enough to hide any residual grace or indicators?”  So what if he was grasping at straws?  “Like you hid Dean and I with the markings on our ribs?”

“Perhaps,” Castiel was squinting at him and realized with awe, “Your love for him runs so deeply, doesn’t it?  How could I have missed this before…”

Sam knew a blush was spreading across his cheeks, because when the words were spoken aloud - the gravity of the situation really sunk in.  “Yeah, I, uh, guess it does.”

“Don’t be ashamed of love.  It’s one of God’s greatest creations.”  There was a minute but warm smile on Castiel’s face.  “I was wrong to have spoke ill of anything before.  I suppose some of Heaven’s beliefs are so deeply instilled into our 'programming' that we forget what He taught us was of import above all else.  Ironic, how that works out.”

“Cas, I have a huge favor to ask you…” Sam bit his lip as the seraph agreed eagerly.

“Of course.  What is it?”

“I don’t think Dean’s gonna want to talk to me about this.  He’s stubborn and I know I’ve got a bad track record when it comes to what he thinks are monsters.  But…yeah, Gabriel and us, we’ve got a history.  And it’s not all rainbows and unicorns, but it’s different.  Can you help him come around and see that?”  He tried to show the angel how serious he was through his body language and eyes, but he already knew Cas recognized it was urgent.

“I’d love to help, but I don’t see why he’d listen to me about something like this.”  Castiel frowned heavily and Sam wanted to friggin shake him, he was _so dense_ sometimes.

“Because he trusts you.  He listens to you.  He cares about you, Cas,” then he added in something he hoped would resonate, “You’re _family_.”

That seemed to light the spark in him and the angel nodded gravely, “I’ll do my best.  I believe he’s in the yard, I’ll see if I can calm him down a bit.”

“Thank you.”

But before Sam could even finish the ‘you’ part, Castiel had already fluttered away.

With a huff, Sam closed his eyes and sent a prayer up to Gabriel.

_Consider Dean filled in.  He’s got his own angel to take it out on and Cas is on our side.  I’m crossing my fingers this all works out._

With a little hesitation, he added:

_I hope I can see you soon.  You’ve got a promise to keep._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to send a little apology to my amazing readers who've stuck with me even though updates have been lacking. This fic is complete (as well as the third and final installment) and new chapters will be posted regularly!
> 
> There's been some hiatus's my betas have needed, and I've been working on many challenges lately. Which means I WILL be posting new works soon, and once I receive my posting dates I'll be announcing them on my tumblr: paperannxo
> 
> In the future, look out for: Destiel Big Bang, SPN Dystopia Bang, SPN Canon Big Bang, Wincest Big Bang, Destiel Harlequin Challenge, DCBB, Dean/Cas Tropefest, Team Free Will Big Bang and (more than likely) Supernatural Kink Bingo. Phew! I think that's all of them!
> 
> So I HAVE been writing! A lot. And there will be many, many works published soon, and hopefully updates on my WIPs. There's a little note/preview of where I'm at currently with my writing so you know I haven't abandon the fandom, and not by a long shot :)


	2. Chapter One

When Death rolled through Sioux Falls, Sam and Dean still hadn’t left.

They were there when Karen came back to Bobby, when the town went Dawn of the Dead and when Karen was taken away from him. 

Again.

God, did it hurt.

And all because of a dirty play.  A low fucking blow.  Because Bobby was helping the Winchesters.  Death, controlled by Lucifer, wanted to break his spirit for his aid, and he’d done a damn good job.  It was fucking _heartbreaking_ , seeing it in the old alpha’s eyes, in his scent - the fact that he’d had to relive it all over again and take Karen’s life by his own hand.   
  
The most horrifying deja vu.  A crushing fate you wouldn’t wish upon your mortal enemy.  The sick part was this was probably just another one of Lucifer’s whims.  It stuck them all differently, yet one thing remained the same: Bobby was  _ irreplaceable  _ to them, and everyone around the Winchesters always ended up dead - or worse.  Truly, when you thought about it,  _ wasn’t  _ this a fate worse than death?

Both the brothers didn’t know whether they should give Bobby his space or be there for him.  In the end, the grouchy old alpha all but shoved them out of his house.

It struck such a chord, it cut so deep that as they caught wind of a vengeful spirit no one even bothered with music in the Impala.  The silence hung heavily in the air, like a densely thick fog of mourning.  For the very first time,  _ Dean  _ brought up the elephant in the room, two hours into the drive.

“Do you really love him?”

The alpha’s voice was so low, so quiet, it could barely be heard above the rumbling of the engine, causing Sam to do a proverbially double-take.  But he knew from Dean’s sorrowful scent, with hints of curiosity, precisely  _ what  _ he was referring to.  And it wasn’t due to some breakthrough Cas had made with his brother.  It had been seeing Bobby’s pain of having his mate ripped away from him,  _ again _ , that had done it.  And Dean knew that Sam was half-mated.

Sam cleared his throat, not even having to mull over the question when he answered, “Yeah.  I really do.”

There was more white noise as rain began to patter against the windshield, a storm on the horizon and they were heading directly into it.

“What are you waiting for?”

That was an inquiry that made Sam turn to gawk at his brother.  To see if he was actually serious because…there was no way he could…

He was still staring at the road but his face was pensive and nostalgic.

“I…” Sam paused and honestly said, “I wanted to make sure you didn’t hate me for it.  And I think he’s been steering clear until we’ve worked out our differences.”

“Wait.”  The alpha finally glanced to the omega in the passenger seat, brows scrunched in confusion.  “You mean you haven’t seen him since I caught you guys that morning, like, way over  _ a week ago _ ?”

With a pathetic shrug, Sam confirmed, “Yeah.  It’s…complicated.   _ We’re  _ complicated.  But I really think this was a thing to him.  After all, Gabriel probably doesn’t want to be looking over his shoulder all the time for a Holy Oil trap or a flying angel blade.”

“ _ Shit _ .  I’m sorry.”  And it sounded genuine.  “I mean, I guess I wish it was someone else.  And that sounds like a dick thing to say, but if my baby brother found the one…I’m not gonna stand in his way.  And Cas’ gonna vouch for him, so I won’t be the one to keep you apart.”  Then he asked again, “Are you ever gonna finish it?”

“I want to.”  Sam felt damn helpless on the subject.  “And he wants to, too.  But we don’t know what’ll happen.  Cas says we’re already ‘blasphemers,’ so who knows if it’s gonna send a shining beacon of sin up to Heaven.  Not like I want a sign that says ’please smite me’ attached to my neck.”

“You already got one stapled to yer ass,” Dean instantly called him out on his ridiculous excuse.  “It’s him, isn’t it?”

“Like I said, it’s complicated.”  Sam said it with a tone of finality in his voice, hoping it would stop Dean from pushing.

Because right now, even though he couldn’t say it aloud, he  _ felt  _ like a shunned omega with a mate who didn’t want him.  And the more he analyzed it, the whole goddamn situation, the more he thought he was right.  Why hadn’t Gabriel come to see him?  After the accidental mating, they only had  _ one  _ night together and  _ one  _ morning.  Maybe Sam was an idiot to think that would be enough to fix things.  To make Gabriel love him.

Maybe he was placating Sam to get him off his back.  Giving him  _ just  _ enough to quell him, to give him a sense of himself back.

Maybe he’d already made his escape.

Maybe…that was all it had been.

Regardless, the distance made Sam’s heart hurt and, even though he was too stubborn to pray, he missed the archangel.  His body and his friggin soul yearned for him and each passing day felt like an eternity.  Which was why he came to the conclusion that Gabriel didn’t want him.  These last few days…they  _ didn’t  _ involve  _ angels _ .  Which was what Gabriel was hiding from.  They could handle themselves.  All the nights were the perfect opportunity for him to visit.     
  
But he hadn’t.  He never showed.  Once.

“Hey.”  Dean’s hand was on his shoulder and he shook him roughly.  “You out of blockers, or something?”

Sam was snapped out of his daze and asked in confusion, “What?  Why?”

“You’re stinking up the car with your teen angst.  What the hell, dude!”

“No, I-”  He paused and reached back into his duffle.  “Shit.  I ran out.  How did I not realize that?”

“You’re all over the place.  We’re heading to a pharmacy.”  But now, concern and bone deep worry was etched on Dean’s face.  “Seriously, are you okay?”

“I don’t know.”  Sam knew he exposed and he couldn’t hide it with his heart on his fucking sleeve.  “You’re right, let’s just get to the pharmacy.”

“Sammy.”  Dean’s voice dropped to the serious take-no-shit level.  “If this fucker breaks your heart?  I’m  _ ending  _ him.  And I won’t think twice.”

The omega laughed wryly, because what if that’s where his head was leading him right now?  His own self-deprecation?  This was embarrassing and the last thing either of them needed.

“Dean, I’m a big boy.  Maybe Bobby and Karen just got to me more than I thought.”  He cast a quick glance towards his brother, and there was sincerity there.

Because, no matter the heartbreak and the tragedy, Sam could only  _ wish  _ to be loved like that.  Even for the few days she’d been reanimated, he’d never seen that kind of happiness first-hand in his life and it was beautiful.  He would kill to feel and experience the kind of love Bobby and Karen had for each other, if only for a handful of fleeting days.  Even if it had been ripped away, just to know what it was like would be enough.

How pathetic was that?

\------------------

When they reached the motel, Sam had jumped in the shower to rinse off the fumes Dean had called him out about.  It would be pointless to try to pile on blockers over top of those scents.  He needed to be cleansed, in the literal and figurative sense.

He didn’t hesitate to grab the washcloth and scrub his body until it was angry and red.  Sam felt like he was going crazy inside his own skin and he wanted to peel it off.  He may have lingered too long, but once he realized what he was doing he made a hasty exit, knowing his brother would be pissed if he used up all the hot water.

Sam choked back his suppressants (still never having cut back from the heavy-duty kinds from when he‘d been body-swapped) and doused himself in blockers.  He wouldn’t allow Dean the chance to get another sniff of what he was holding back, because the longer he had to stew and the longer he’d been in that shower, the heavier his emotions weighed on him.

To be honest, they were getting too heavy to carry.

When he left the bathroom, a thin veil of steam followed him and he announced with a pasted-on smile, “It’s all yours.”

Dean gave him a once-over but didn’t say anything as they traded places.

The omega knew they’d be leaving early in the morning for the town where the ghost was wrecking havoc, so he just pulled on a change of clothing instead of opting for pajamas.  It would be easier that way.  He knew sleep would be difficult, and the second they could Sam would rather just hop out of bed and leave this place.

He never imagined that the second he opened his eyes in the morning, death would follow soon after that.

\--------------------

Heaven  _ wasn’t  _ what Sam had been expecting and neither were the series of roads.

His good memories, or what Dean dubbed as ’Greatest Hits’ were few and far between, and only existed outside of hunting.  Deep down, he knew it probably hurt his brother but he couldn’t be held at fault.  Hunting was never a happy time for him, even though Dean and a night of fireworks was a high point.

It was intense and a high adrenaline game of cat-and-mouse, knowing that Zachariah was looking for them on Earth, and they were playing right into his hands in what was a glorified angel's playground.  Even while Castiel was trying to help them by reaching out and directing them towards the roads, the other angel was  _ still  _ hot on their heels.  They were both flabbergasted when Cas even mentioned searching for God through someone named Joshua in a garden.

The memories continued to fly by and they never thought they were going to reach the end of the maze.  It was a mindfuck, watching this montage of days past didn’t make Sam nostalgic, it made him uneasy.  Just because he knew it was affecting his brother, he knew it was a race against time and he knew-

But right before they caught sight of another road, Sam was frozen in place staring at a  _ newer  _ memory, one he had  _ never  _ thought would exist in his Heaven.

It was of the last time he’d seen Gabriel…

Dean was stark-still when he saw it too, and couldn’t help but linger as he watched the scene unfold.

Talks about their future, about them, about how they’d make it work…

And while Dean finally understood, and grumbled, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.  Lovesick idiots,” and tried to pull Sam towards the door where he would soon interrupt from-

Sam’s fists were clenched at his sides.  And without him even realizing, there were angry, frustrated and sorrowful tears filling his eyes.  

Because…what if that was  _ it _ ?  

Seeing Gabriel like this, seeing it from the outside - the archangel  _ looked  _ like he felt the same.  He looked like he  _ cared  _ about Sam in the same way.  But the omega now knew that it was all bullshit, he was a trickster by nature and the way he was probably parading-

And it hurt even more, cut him even deeper, just taunting him-

This was probably the last time he’d see Gabriel.  And it was in the form of a fucking memory.

“Sam.  Sam!”  Dean shouted out him and reached out to grab his wrist with a bruising grip to get him moving, “C’mon, what are you- hey.  Hey. Are you okay?”  Concern shone through the urgency and in their moment of hesitation the entire scene faded away.

“What the hell-” the alpha jerked around, only to see the figure of Zachariah.  “Shit, Sam!  We  _ gotta hustle _ !”  Dean grabbed onto Sam’s arm and  _ ran _ .

The omega was numb, but he let his brother guide him.  They couldn’t fall prey to the angel, they couldn’t get stuck here because apparently Sam’s Heaven was worse than Hell.  It was torment, broken fucking promises and-

A figure in a lucha libre mask appeared in the woodlands and made harsh gestures for them to follow.  With one look between them, they knew they had nothing to lose and picked up the speed.  From a clearing, a sigil was marked by the man on a door and when they passed it?  It opened to  _ very  _ familiar and the ridiculously welcoming sight of a rough building’s interior and for the first time - there was a fleck of  _ hope _ .

The Roadhouse.

As they whirled around and took in their surroundings, their savior revealed himself to be none other than Ash, and Dean grinned and chatted about him being a sight for sore eyes.

But Sam…still felt numb.

His brother and Ash continued to speak about what was going on, how Heaven operated and how it was that Ash could save them.  It’s all garbled together until Dean elbowed him in the side. 

And  _ hard _ .  

Sam hesitantly looked over to the alpha and noticed that Ash was gone.  It was only the two of them left in the lonely bar.

With his eyebrows scrunched, Sam carefully asked, “Where did Ash go?”

“He’s going to grab someone who wants to see us.”  Dean leaned on the bar top and blatantly stared, attempting to get a handle on what the hell is going on with his brother.  Because it was something big.  Yet Dean had something bigger.  “Did you hear a word out of his mouth?”

“No.”  Sam admitted it freely.  “Sorry, this has got me all confused, I’m having a hard time-”

“He said you’re true mates.”

Just those two words turned Sam’s world upside down and he gaped, “ _ What _ ?”

“Yeah.  If you’d been listening.”  Dean scoffed and rolled his eyes.  “Everyone has their own version of Heaven, replaying their memories, even though we’ve been hopping around.   _ Except  _ true mates, they get to share one.  But  _ only  _ true mates.  Ash said you’ve got a big-ass glowing sign on you and a room for two in the afterlife.  But he was confused, because you don’t have a mark.  But you’re already bonded.  I said there’s a giant case of getting-your-head-outta-yer-ass going on.”     
  
Dean smacked Sam lightly in the cheek and growled, “So how about it?  Get with the fuckin’ program!  I don’t know what’s going on with you, but if you needed to hear it, there’s your confirmation!  I’ll back off on you guys, okay?  So how about-”

“He doesn’t want me.” Sam blurted, unable to hold it back any long.  “I  _ know it _ , I-I froze up.  I think that memory is the last time I’m gonna see him.”

Dean’s eyes widened and then narrowed dangerously.  “You’re  _ so  _ fucking  _ stupid _ .”

“What?”  It was Sam’s turn to grow volatile, because his brother had no idea what was going on and-

Everything stopped and they had to face the music again when Pamela came back with Ash.  The way she spoke about Heaven sounded appealing, Sam almost wished he  _ could  _ get lost in his own.  It would sure beat his current version of reality.  But…when she suggested saying yes, that was something he absolutely would not even consider.  Even the thought offended him, and he knew they had to be on their way.

Luckily, Ash knew the layout like the back of his hand - as well as a shortcut to the garden.

Zachariah had to know of their plan, of Castiel’s plan, because he was laying in wait.  The sick bastard even paraded around a vision of Mary just to get Dean’s blood boiling before he got down to the torture part of his spiel.  

Luckily, before things could get too gruesome, the exact man they’d been desperately searching Heaven for intervened and knocked the angel down a peg when he welcomed them into the garden.

Except, the news that awaited them  _ wasn’t  _ what they had hoped.

Yes, Joshua said that God had saved them when Lucifer arose and He resurrected Castiel.

Then, to take it a step further, Joshua announced that God was on Earth.  And He doesn’t give a shit.  He was not going to intervene in any way.  It was up to the Winchesters to get things done.

It was a crushing blow to not only the two brothers, but to Castiel when they snapped back awake in their bodies.  

Part of the unfortunate news was that the amulet wouldn’t do jack, and the angel gave it back to Dean.  Who promptly tossed it in the garbage when they silently got their shit together, war-torn and exhausted.  Who knew being dead could take so much out of you.  

Even though he didn’t believe it, Sam felt compelled to say, “We’ll find another way, you know.  It doesn’t matter if-”

“Vengeful spirit.”  Dean refused to make eye contact with him, “Let’s focus on something we  _ can  _ fix.”

Sam was inclined to agree.

\--------------------

The salt and burn was just that: an easy salt and burn - but there were still stitches that needed tying and a shoulder joint out of place.  Their recklessness came from being emotional after their time in Heaven, and during their game of “Operation” Dean decided he was heading to the bar to drown his sorrows afterwards.  Sam did something similar when he snagged the bottle of ‘sanitizer’ that happened to be a fifth of rum.

Everything was looking more and more bleak by the day; but if there was one thing the omega could focus on it was the hunts.  Hell, just the physicality of it, the feel of the needle sewing his flesh back together was grounding and made him feel alive.

Heaven had numbed him.  It had hurt in a dull, throbbing way and being back on Earth with all the pain that went with it was a welcome relief in the visceral sense.

He only hoped his brother didn’t pick a bar fight or something stupid, because these were prime times for Dean’s alpha to get out of control.  

Sam flipped something on the TV and drank the rum as though it was water.  Hell, he was drowning himself so deep he may have to make a run to get another bottle while he could still walk in a straight line.  Although, if he remembered correctly, there was probably more in the trunk of the Impala.  He knew Dean had hiked to the bar, so the booze was probably parked right outside…

“Sam!”

The omega blinked, he’d only cast a glance to the nearly-empty liquor bottle for half a second before he heard his name and then Gabriel was seated next to him on the bed.

Sam looked at him curiously, unsure if he was drunk enough yet to be imagining things or not.  While he considered how smashed he was, he opted to finish the bottle before setting it on the nightstand.  Apparently, that was enough to earn a glower from the archangel (who turned out to be decidedly real) and reached out to cup his face.

“I came here as soon as I could.  Are you alright?  I felt your life force go out, and then Castiel said he was leading you to Joshua in Heaven and-”

Sam jerked from the touch and evenly stated, “Yeah, fine.”

“You’re banged up pretty good and drunk as hell, here, let me-” Gabriel’s face shone with concern, but before he could do his usual two-finger fix-up, Sam slapped it away.

“It’s only a couple cuts, I’m  _ fine _ .”  He emphasized the word again.  “I get it.  You were hiding from the God Squad, but it all worked out.”  Sam even felt bold enough to ask, “Where were you before?”

The archangel’s scent was confused, unused to Sam shoving away his touch when he pronounced, “Kiddo, the second I left was when Death rolled in.  Horseman with a direct link to Lucifer?  He would’ve been able to feel I was there and report back to the man holding his leash.”  He moved so he wasn’t sitting on the edge of the bed, but directly in front of Sam when he admitted, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t ditching you.”

“You’re being careful.”  Sam was saying the words, what  _ Gabriel  _ needed to hear, but it didn’t matter.

He didn’t feel those things.  It  _ wasn’t  _ okay, the explanation wasn’t a relief because the more he thought about it… even though they’d spoken about a ‘them’ about an ‘us,’ it all surrounded by the optimistic view with the absence of angels.  In the middle of a  _ war between angels _ .  

There  _ wasn’t  _ a them, there could  _ never  _ be one, and Sam  _ finally  _ saw that.

For as long as Gabriel was in hiding, and the omega knew he’d never come out - hell, the Winchesters had to trap him in Holy Oil before he’d even reveal his identity, there couldn’t be anything between them.  

And this true mates bullshit?  Wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

“What happened to you?”  Gabriel asked carefully, studying him when Sam finally made eye contact.

“Nothing.  Heaven was interesting.  I understand why you high-tailed it out of there.”  He huffed and crossed his arms, wincing when one of the stitches pulled at his sliced flesh.

Now Gabriel was even more concerned, demanding, “What did you see?  Something must have messed with it, because a  _ human’s  _ Heaven is supposed to be just  _ that _ .  I had my own reasons for skipping out.”

“It was…enlightening.”  Sam shrugged his shoulders and watched Gabriel with just as much scrutiny.  “I guess it would have been fine if I was ignorant.  If I  _ wasn’t  _ self-aware.  Skipping the whole not-supposed-to-know-you’re-dead thing kind of ruined it.  And knowing the rules kind of ruined it.”

Gabriel’s expression turned neutral, because now he was just downright confused.  “I wish I could have helped.  I wish I could have been there, Sam, I  _ really- _ ”

The omega scoffed, because this went further to prove his point.  Maybe Gabriel’s power was too far outside the realm of true mates, he wasn’t affected.  He couldn’t even commit to saving Sam if he were dead, couldn’t stick his all-powerful nose in.  

This was a wake-up call.   _ Officially _ .  Sam decided he was  _ done _ , and he wasn’t going to be a little bitch about this.  He’d take it at face value and give up on hope for anything more.

But since Gabriel was  _ already  _ here…

“Well, how about you make it up to me?”  He reached out and grabbed the collar of the archangel’s jacket, because having him any way he could get him was enough.  “I can think of a few ways, if you’re not feeling creative.”  With one good jerk against the leather, he’d toppled them both over with Gabriel on top.

“Sam,” his voice was a low warning, “I didn’t only come here for-”

The omega wanted him to shut up.  He didn’t want to hear him say no, he didn’t want to hear any more bullshit.

So he used his mouth to muffle Gabriel’s words and kissed him hard.

And, God, had he missed the way the man tasted.  He missed the feel of his lips, the weight of his form, but - the archangel wasn’t kissing him back.  Not like he wanted him to.

It looked like Sam would have to try harder.

He licked inside Gabriel’s mouth while he grabbed the shoulders of the jacket and shoved them down his back.  Once the fabric was halfway off, he grabbed Gabriel’s hips and pulled him closer so their bodies were pressed together.  When the archangel tried to pull away, Sam played dirty - he closed his mouth over the healed mating mark and  _ sucked _ .

It made Gabriel gasp and the noise went right to Sam’s cock.   _ This  _ was what he  _ needed _ .  This was where they’d started, if they could go back to it, to the intensity and passion of speaking with their bodies…they wouldn’t need words.  Jesus, the more Sam thought about it, fantasizing the feel of the alpha’s skin, the sensation of his dick buried inside him, he was already wet just from anticipating-

But Gabriel  _ still  _ pulled away.

Even though he was flushed and scented of arousal, he fucking pulled away.

Sam frowned and narrowed his eyes as he sat up.  So to keep things moving, Sam unbuttoned his flannel, pulled off his shirt while he challenged, “Something wrong?  Because the last thing I remember you saying to me was something about fucking me into next week, the first chance you got.”  He leaned in and flicked his tongue across Gabriel’s ear lobe, “Which, by the way, is right  _ now _ .”

“You’re drunk, and I-” the archangel began, his voice a bit hoarse as Sam continued to undress, but the omega cut him off with a hearty laugh.

“You knew I was before you fluttered in here!”  He threw his jeans across the room and stared at Gabriel, then mockingly pointing out, “You’ve held off before when I’ve been drunk.  You should have waited to show up, in that case.  What’s another night?  I’m getting some serious mixed signals.”

The archangel finally had enough.     
  
He pinned Sam down, stopping him from removing the only covering he had left, which happened to be his boxers.  “I wanted to get to you as soon as I could.  It’s not my fault you dove into a bottle.”

“You know what  _ is  _ your fault?”  Sam raised his voice a lilt in challenge and bit his lip.  “The fact that I’m dripping wet thinking about you.  And you’re not naked and doing something about it.”

“Then let me sober you-”

“No!”  Sam snarled, “No.  I dove into a bottle for a reason.  If you don’t want me as I am?  If you have to  _ manipulate  _ and  _ tweak things _ about me you don’t like and my choices, just to be with me?  Fuck you.”  He shook his head with a bitter laugh, “You’re not taking advantage of me.  How many times have you knotted me?  It doesn’t take a genius to notice I’m ready to friggin go.  Unless I disgust you like this or something.”

“Sam, it’s not like that, you don’t-” Gabriel looked more frustrated than anything as the omega spread his legs underneath him, the scent of slick easily discernible in the room.  “God, you’re so fucking gorgeous,” he ducked forward and kissed his neck, “let me take away the blockers?”

“As I am,” Sam repeated, arching his hips upward and rutting into Gabriel.

“You little shit.”  He let go of his wrists and grabbed his face, kissing him with a new found ferocity.  “We’re talking after this.”

The omega didn’t say anything, he refused to respond because he didn’t want to talk.  That was the  _ last  _ thing he wanted, but the first was happening now, and quickly.  His body was rejoicing the second Gabriel was skin to skin with him, their cocks rutting together but the alpha wouldn’t leave his mouth.

His mouth was too  _ sweet _ , too  _ passionate  _ and what Sam wanted was that rough edge that Gabriel  _ used  _ to give him.  

That brute force that borderlined on feral, animalistic sex.  

Sam knew he needed to take control somehow, or at least lead him to it-

So he raked his nails down Gabriel’s back, arching into him and spreading his legs with a timing that made the head of the alpha’s cock catch on his hole.  Gabriel cursed loudly, but settled Sam’s hips down and crawled the length of his body.

And, hell yeah, it felt amazing when the archangel lapped the precum from his cock but when he started fingering him open with a  _ gentle  _ touch?  That was not what Sam craved nor needed right now.  Neither were the soft kisses on his hipbones.  

He  _ hated  _ those, not for the tenderness, but for the  _ timing _ .  It was too fucking little too late.  He clenched his fists to keep from lashing out.  Because Gabriel was showering him in affection, he was taking care of him in a way Sam couldn’t deal with.

After everything, after being shunned, ignored, no matter what the circumstances, Sam only felt a fury brewing under his skin.

So he lied.

“Gabriel,” he moaned out and managed to wriggle away from his ministrations.  “Couldn’t stop thinking about your knot.  Lost count of how many times I fucked myself on my fingers imagining it was you.”

There was a heated passion in the alpha’s eyes and, fuck, his scent was building and Sam  _ knew  _ he was close to snapping.  So he did the one thing he bet the archangel would never be able to resist.  He put enough distance between them, flipped over and presented.

He could hear Gabriel swallow and exhale a choked breath.  The way the alpha had touched him already, imagining his cock and getting off - it had him dripping down his thighs, he knew he was more than slick enough to take it.  Sam’s body and mind demanded this, he had to feel it all, he needed Gabriel in the most primal way, and that was  _ it _ .

“Fuck, Sam-” Gabriel’s hands were on his hips and his tongue was tracing over his hole.  “So good.  So good to me.”

“Mm-”  He swung his hips and further provoked, “Need it, please.  You made me a whore for your knot.”

“But you’re  _ my  _ little whore,” the alpha’s voice was so rich with lust, his fingers dragging through the wetness and Sam held his breath as he felt the thickness of Gabriel’s cock line up.  “You’re gonna beg for me, aren’t you?”

This was it.  He  _ wasn’t  _ waiting anymore.

Sam closed his eyes and shoved back on Gabriel’s dick, taking it all in one go.  

The alpha grunted and righted them, pushing Sam back up to his knees and cursing, “Holy hell, you’re hungry for it.”

“Yes,” Sam whined out, because the stretch and burn was overwhelming in every way that now grounded him.  He ordered harshly, “Give it to me.  Fuck me raw,  _ alpha _ .”

When Gabriel began to move, it wasn’t what Sam had demanded.  It was just like the rest of this cursed encounter.  

_ Too  _ sweet.   _ Too  _ fucking  _ late _ .  

And it was  _ crushing  _ Sam’s heart, because they couldn’t have this.  

So he had to push back - Sam started fucking himself on Gabriel’s cock and forcing moans from the alpha’s throat.  Sam was rough, fueled by that force of chasing his orgasm and feeling alive instead of this bullshit Gabriel was trying to fool him with.

He whimpered half from pleasure, half from pain when he felt the alpha’s knot tugging at his sore rim, Gabriel  _ finally  _ getting with the program and fucking into him with the same tenacity Sam was using to bait him.  They met half-way, the wet slapping sounds music to Sam’s ears and he knew he was close.

“You ready, Sammy?”  Gabriel asked, kissing his back as the omega felt the alpha’s knot thickening by the second.

“Fill me up, Gabriel,  _ now- _ !”  He practically screamed and the alpha finally gave him what he really wanted.

He let go.  He pumped his hips with abandon and stretched him with his knot and his cum.  When Sam felt the rush, he was wrapped up in his orgasm and demanded, “More!” even though Gabriel’s hips hadn’t slowed - because that’s what the alpha had intended.

Sam was dizzy and felt single every drag of Gabriel’s cock.  He could feel the next load of cum fill him and he shouted out, grasping at the sheets because,  _ God _ , it was so  _ intense _ .  It was exactly what he hungered for, but it was a double-edged sword.  Even when the roll of Gabriel’s hips turned languid, Sam was hypersensitive and the whine that it drew was an unintentionally pained one.

One that Gabriel decidedly didn’t like.

He pulled them onto their sides and demanded, “Sam?  Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m good.”  The omega tried to assure him, and now that Gabriel’s hips were still, yeah, it was true.

“No, you’re  _ not _ .”  The alpha had his teeth ground, and he washed a hand over his mate.  It erased all the injuries, sobered him up a little, but kept them tied together.  “What’s going on inside that head of yours?”

“Nothing.  Missed this.  This was nice.”

“You just made me  _ hurt you _ .”  His voice was furious, “I had to heal you, and they weren’t only your  _ hunting  _ wounds.  Dammit, Sam!  What the  _ fuck  _ is-”

“I’m making sense of us!”  Sam finally exploded back, unable to contain himself a moment longer.  “And I did.  I finally figured it out, because there is  _ no us  _ outside of  _ fucking _ .  So now I know where I stand.  That’s it!”

“What are you talking about?”  Gabriel’s volume dropped to a whisper in the wake of Sam’s anger, “What’s screwed with your head, I-”

“We’re true mates!”  Sam finally had to blurt it out, the dam had long since broken.  “I found that out in Heaven.  But if we’re true mates, I think a lot of shit would be different.  Apparently, we’re a joke and I was hoping for too much.  It doesn’t make sense, our rules are fucked.  So it would be best if we went back to basics.  If I hope for more, it’s gonna tear me up.  I‘m protecting myself.”     
  
The omega had to try his hardest to catch his breath, when he stated, “You don’t want me.  We’re fighting a war on angels that you want no part of.  We  _ won’t work _ .  So.  We keep things simple.  Can we at least have that?  I just need something… _ anything _ .  Or else I won‘t make it.”  A lone tear fell down Sam’s face.

While Gabriel had been shocked to find out the true mates news, the other part of Sam’s rampage was too much for him to stay silent about.

“You think  _ so little _ of yourself?  That  _ all  _ we have between us is sex?”

“Isn’t it?”  He was so sure in his response that Gabriel physical jerked back.

“No.   _ Fuck no _ , you couldn’t be  _ more  _ wrong.”  He grabbed the omega and kissed his back while he attempted to piece the right words together.  “A lot of things don’t make sense, but things started getting a hell of a lot clearer when you mated me.  Accidental or not.  I…” Gabriel didn’t know how to say it.  “I’m no good at this, Sam.  I’m  _ shit  _ at this.  I’m so stuck in my habits, I don’t know how to break them, but I would.  For you.”

The omega seized up as the archangel began stroking his side.  “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Me leaving you.  Me not being there for you.  Obviously, it’s messed you up in the head, and that’s not good for either one of us.”  There was a strange determination in his voice.  “Let me wipe the booze out?   _ Please _ ?”

Sam nodded slowly and Gabriel did just that.

This time, Gabriel also mojo’d his body around so he could lay on his side, facing Sam head-on.  Although he wasn’t about to snap them apart, no, he planned on staying knotted right here, to keep Sam from going anywhere.  He needed to look the omega in the eye, and now that he was back to himself Sam looked awkward and timid.  That was putting it lightly.

Gabriel sighed and began to run his hand through Sam’s hair as they were at eye level.  “I’m  _ not  _ gonna leave you.  I  _ won’t  _ run because of my jackass extended family.  You’re too important to me.”

“You don’t have to, I’m not being needy and telling you that-”

“I’m making the choice, dammit.”  He shot Sam a halfhearted sharp look.  “I get it.  The true mates thing.  I  _ feel it. _  Felt it hard when I couldn’t be with you.  And this was  _ not  _ the reunion I was expecting, not by a long shot.”  Gabriel shook his head and huffed out a breath.  “But maybe it was a wake-up call.”

“I-”

“Shut up.  I’m still talking.  It... _ meant something _ , you know.  A few weeks shouldn’t mean anything when you're thousands of years old, but time dragged by, every second I couldn’t see you.  Would it have killed you to send up a prayer?  Maybe pick up a phone?  Carrier pigeon?”  Gabriel tugged lightly at a fistful of Sam’s hair before he finished, “Take the night to think.  If you still want me, we’ll finish it.  ‘Cause I know I’ll still want you.”

Sam’s jaw dropped because the alpha’s scent was drenched in sincerity, anxiety and flecked with love.  “You already know how I feel, Gabriel.”

“I hope I do, kid.  But still, I don’t wanna get angry-mated tonight.  This was my kick in the ass,  _ not  _ the time for us to seal the deal.”  He leaned forward and kissed the omega’s forehead.

Which had Sam begging, “Please, stay.”

“Hm,” Gabriel paused for a moment, snapped them clean with their clothes on and agreed, “Until you fall asleep.”

“Or you can stay like last time.”  The suggestion was lighter than anything he’d said all night, and he shifted around until he was curled up on Gabriel’s chest.  “Dean…saw the memory.  He finally gets us.”

“Memory?”  Gabriel echoed.  “What are you talking about?”

“Heaven.  You were there.”

“Shit.”  He sounded a little perplexed, scanning his own memory.  “We’ve gotta make more, then.  Better ones.  From here on out.”

Sam simply nodded and curled into his body warmth.  “I’d like that.  Thank you.”

“Sweet dreams, kiddo.  We’ll talk in the morning.”


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello!
> 
> I wanted to thank everyone for the sweet, awesome comments that were left last chapter! I really wish I could respond to them individually like I always try to, but this has been a hell of a week. Lots of family medical problems (everything is getting much better though!) but I'm completely physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted.
> 
> BUT! I wanted to get this chapter out for you! I promise next week I'll reply - you guys are amazing and I love hearing your feedback <3 I hope you enjoy this one :) xoxo

When Sam woke up, they weren’t in the motel room that they’d gone to sleep in.  He could only assume that they were somewhere completely different (hotel, city, country, who the hell knew with the archangel), but Gabriel had to have mentioned something to Dean or else his brother would have freaked out.  Because…Gabriel was _still_ here.

And he was softly kissing Sam awake in a giant, cushy lavish bed that they’d never have the money to spring for.

The sun was barely rising and there were multiple things Sam noticed besides the obvious location change.

His body was completely healed.  There was no hangover (which wasn’t surprising, since Gabriel had sobered him up the night before) which was a welcomed relief, since he’d all but drank his weight in liquor.  The brush of the archangel’s mouth was sweet and his scent was adorned with hints of lust, but more than anything: love.

It took Sam’s breath away because he never honestly thought he’d experience that raw emotion coming from Gabriel.  

This could have been the first time he’d scented it so completely, whether it was the first time the alpha truly felt it or he’d been hiding it until now, it didn’t matter.  What did, was that it had Sam’s heart beating out of his chest.  Or maybe it was Sam who’d blocked out any previous signs and immediately dismissed even the fantasy of love, because it was more than he’d even dreamed of.  Maybe he'd always ignored it in exchange for setting himself up for disaster, because that was all he knew.

Gabriel must have noticed the hitch in his breath, because he slinked back upward from where he’d been mouthing at Sam’s chest and whispered, “G’morning.”

“H-hey.”  Then he admitted shyly, “Didn’t think you’d be here.  Or…wherever we are.”

“I told your brother I was stealing you.  He was half-drunk and gave me attitude.  But then there was something along the lines of ‘fucking finally’ in the last part of his slurs.  I was impressed.”  He announced the news with a mischievous half-smile, his eyes dancing with delight.  “You know, I wanted last night to go _much_ differently.  But I think it ended where I wanted it to start.”

“You…were gonna romance me?”  The omega dared to take a guess.

“More or less.”  He sat up to straddle Sam’s hips and looked down at him.  “I was gonna try.  Before I realized I’d messed up and done a number on your head.”  Gabriel dipped forward enough to kiss his brow before he hummed, “I knew I said I wanted you to think about it, but you pretty much passed out so I doubt you had many deep thoughts about the topic.  Figured we could talk about it and maybe if you _wanted…_ ”

The words left unsaid built a lump in Sam’s throat.

He eyed Gabriel warily and asked, “I don’t wanna be an ass.  But am I still asleep?”

“Heh.”  He shook his head and chuckled.  “Nah.  You’re not.  Too much?”  He gestured to the luxurious room.  “Thought it’d be nice if we were someplace without bedbugs and jizz on the comforter.”

“I just never thought you’d want it.”  Sam stammered out.  “We don’t know what’s going to happen.  If people, angels, anyone will be able to tell that you made the mark.  I know I was in a bad place last night, but I _can_ get my shit together.  I was being a brat and I-”

“Hey.”  Gabriel grabbed Sam’s face with both hands before he continued blabbering on any further.  “I told you.  I’m _in_.  Are you always this difficult?  Yesh, must get exhausting.  I mean, unless you don’t want it.  If you changed your mind and you don’t, then I sure as hell won’t make you.  I’m-”

“ _God_ , I want it …”  His admission was breathless.  “Even when I was under Famine’s control, I wanted it.  When I was pretending to detox, I fucking hated myself because of how bad I still wanted it.  I thought the feeling would go away since I wasn’t strung out with hunger but…it never did.”

“You’re the one who said it.  True mates?”  Gabriel winked.  “It makes sense.  And I don’t give a flying fuck about the angels anymore.  You’re worth it.  Not to mention, all those pesky underlings?  Zachariah?  I’d _love_ the chance to flash my mug then snap ‘em out of existence.”  His entire energy was honest when he admitted, “It’s my brothers that had me harassing you two.  Because I wanted it to be over.  But now?  I don’t want the apocalypse.  I want a place where _we_ can be together.  And who knows.”  He wiggled his eyebrows, “You?  Mated?”  Gabriel rolled back down his body so they were nose to nose, “You may not even be vessel material anymore.”  He stole a kiss from the omega’s lips that was deep and passionate.  “And I may have a crafty idea about saving this little round planet and keep it spinning.”

The omega chased after his lips until the words sunk in and he demanded, “What?  Are you serious?”

“Put on my thinking cap while you were snoozing.”  He sucked Sam’s lip into his mouth playfully and drew away.  “Pretty sure my best brainstorming sessions happen when you’re cuddled up on top of me.  Drooling like a puppy.  All kinds of adorable.”

With a flashed glare, the omega reiterated, “Your plan.  Will it work?  Can you  _really_ save-”

“Do you wanna talk battle strategies right now, or do you wanna do this?”  Gabriel ground his very obvious erection against Sam’s thigh.  “Because I have this problem with multi-tasking when you’re underneath me like this.”

He swiveled his hips again, easily working Sam’s dick into hardness with a few easy rocks and lewd kisses.  The omega melted into putty in his hands.  Not to mention the idea that Gabriel actually, honestly _wanted_ to mate him?  Holy shit, that was the ultimate aphrodisiac.  He was cradling the back of the archangels head as they tongues clashed together and their hips found an instant rhythm.  His heart skipping beats left and right - he was goddamn shocked he hadn’t had a heart attack by now-

Gabriel’s hands caressed his neck with a feather-soft teasing touch, and just the thought of those fingertips being replaced by teeth had Sam whimpering.  He was spreading his legs and Gabriel crouched between them, taking a deep breath of the slick that was permeating the air.

“Mm, let me taste you?”  The archangel’s voice was lust-wrecked as he had already began mouthing down Sam’s body.

Everything was electric and charged, Sam could feel his power - his grace - just tingling under the surface where their skin met and he nodded eagerly.  This was the loving way Gabriel had about him last night.  Before Sam had sent things crashing to hell.  He handled him with care, stroking his sides, all the sensitive areas that made Sam keen.

He was arching upward against the alpha’s ministrations and everything was still so sweet but intimate.  The omega had never seen this side of Gabriel.  The protective and adoring side of his alpha (yes, _his_ ) was shining through.  Even as he sucked teasing marks against Sam’s hip bones and slid his fingers over his hole.

Gabriel lapped the slick off his digits and moaned, “You have no idea how addicted I am to you.”

Sam was enthralled, watching his every move.  Spreading his legs wider, giving Gabriel better access ignited even more excitement in the alpha as he lifted Sam’s pelvis and began eating him out with intent and no warning at all.

“Gabriel!”  Sam shouted and threw his head back, feeling the alpha’s tongue plunging inside him as he arched off the bed.  “Oh my G-”

With a dark chuckle, the archangel pulled away and pressed two fingers inside him, “Are you ready to be mine, Sam?”

“Yes, yes-!”  He bucked into the fingers that were scissoring him open in a hurry, he couldn’t be more ready.  “Been waiting, thinking about it ever since…”

When he pushed in a third finger, Sam was already gasping and pleading in broken sentences, choking out Gabriel’s name.  He knew they both wanted this, he knew that Gabriel was growing just as impatient as he was when he felt a tingling heat between his cheeks that Sam recognized by now was his grace in action.  

So he had no fear when the archangel was right back up, pulling him in, kissing him hard and lining up his cock.  “You _really_ want this?”

The fucker did it on purpose, asking the question at the same time that he slid inside Sam’s tight body.  The omega grabbed him with both his arms and his legs, but Gabriel moved quicker and ducked right in time to hook Sam’s knees over his shoulders.  He refused to go a second without their lips being pressed together, and this was the perfect position to do so, practically hauling Sam up into his lap.

Sam never felt the true mate bond heavier and more real, more _weighted_ , until now.

With the steady, deep roll of Gabriel’s hips, he kept kissing him with a fiery passion that wasn’t consumed by obsession; but the promise of devotion and love.  Sam was so caught up, so overwhelmed that he barely felt it when Gabriel’s knot caught on his rim.

But he heard the words, “I love you,” ringing in both his ears and his resonating in his heart when the alpha kicked up the pace.

God, Sam was right on that edge.  

Then when Gabriel grabbed his chin, forced his attention, it was the moment Sam knew - and begged in a burning voice, “Mate me, Gabriel.”

The alpha ducked to the side, and it was so much more than the feel of his teeth piecing Sam’s skin.  It was the rush of the most powerful orgasm, and near out-of-body experience, of his life.  

Everything…God, it _sizzled_.  

The bulbs in the room exploded and the feel of Gabriel’s knot wasn’t just a sensation, it was electric euphoria.

Sam couldn’t control the noise that came from his chest, whatever happened to him was all-consuming.  He was filled with fire and ice and crushing pleasure all at once.  He could feel Gabriel’s grace wash through him, filling his cells and pulsing even further - deep enough to wash over his _soul_.

Fuck, Sam tried to hold on, but he felt like he was on a rollercoaster - the archangel was his only link, his only tether, to the world below.  And he held on for dear life, afraid he’d ascend into the clouds of complete rapture and ecstasy.

Gabriel was whispering something into his ear when things stopped being fuzzy shapes around him, and he finally turned and saw him.  _His mate_.  Sam knew he was grinning ear to ear, even though evident worry painted Gabriel‘s face.  Once they locked eyes and Gabriel knew Sam was coherent, the archangel let out a breath of sheer relief.

“Shit.  I thought I lost you there for a second.”

“No, holy hell, no.”  He grabbed the Gabriel’s face and gushed, “I love you,” before sealing their lips together and ignoring the taste of blood.

It was their union.  He felt complete for the first time in his life, and when Gabriel kissed him back everything made sense.  The missing part of him had clicked into place, it was indescribable and it was all thanks to a certain someone who Sam had never, in a million years, had seen coming.  He never knew that Gabriel would be that puzzle piece, his goddamn _everything_.

Sam only pulled away because he was getting light headed from lack of air and collapsed back on the mattress, the alpha tumbling with him.

Gabriel turned his focus back to his neck and licked at the fresh wound, whistling, “It looks damn good on you, Sammy,” with nothing but unadulterated happiness in his voice.  “Why didn’t I do this sooner?  Hell, I’m already a possessive asshole, and now that the whole world knows, I’m feelin’ good.”  He nuzzled him and was practically purring when he greedily hummed, “Mine.”

“All yours,” Sam confirmed with a laugh and let Gabriel move them around into a more comfortable position.  “Do you feel different?”

“If by that, you mean fuckin'fantastic, yes.”  He couldn’t keep his mouth off the mark, and once he realized what he was doing, pulled away.  Gabriel admitted, “Never felt like this before.  And…I’ve never been happier.”  With a tutting noise, he added, “But that’s a secret.  Don’t wanna lose my badass edge, you know.”

“Yeah, our secret.”  The omega reached and brushed the hair off Gabriel’s brow, simply glowing when he whispered back, “I…never thought I’d have this.  That I’d _get_ to have this.”

“You and me both, kid.”

With another soft press of his lips, Sam could feel the addition of a warm pulse and it was then he knew Gabriel had staunched the bleeding.  He didn’t know just how far he’d gone with the healing process, but it didn’t matter.  That mark wasn’t going anywhere it…was forever.  And instead of the knowledge besetting him down he felt so light.

Like if Gabriel wasn’t knotted inside him, he’d float away.

“Mm, can’t get enough of that scent,” Gabriel moaned provocatively from where he was still resting his chin in the crook of Sam’s neck.  “It’s _us_ now.  Your’s changed a little, and it’s even more sweet than before.  Didn’t know that was possible.”

“Don’t eat me, Trickster.  I know about your weirdo candy fetish.”  Sam couldn’t help but tease him because he felt on top of the world.

“Oh, I won’t eat you up.  I’ll savor you, take my time when I taste you.  You already know that.”  He emphasized his point with a lazy roll of his hips inside Sam’s sensitive, well-fucked body.  With a bit more trepidation he asked, “How you holding up, by the way?”

“Fine?”  The omega’s voice raised in pitch with a bit of confusion.  “Uh, why do you ask?”

“Considering I pumped you pull full of, like, four loads of cum - I wanted to make sure your tight little ass could take it.”  He sucked on his earlobe with a soft snicker.  “Got a little carried away.  But once I saw my claim, how could I not?”

Sam’s eyes widened and he turned his chin to face a very mischievous looking archangel.  “I had no idea…but I know you used your grace to speed up the process, it probably just took over so…” he had no idea how to finish that sentence.  Because now that Gabriel had mentioned it, he did feel-

He cast his focus downward and noticed that his belly was _actually_ protruding a bit - and two thoughts and emotions shot down his spine like a cold shower.  

Sam opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying for form the sentences until he pieced together the right words.  Because now, all of a sudden, he was a mess of nerves instead of sated bliss.  He was honestly freaking out a little.

“ _Why_ do you smell like that?  Stoppit.  Cease and desist.”  Gabriel openly complained, “You were so delicious and now-”

“I-I can’t get pregnant, can I?”  He shakily demanded out all at once.

Because that was the main thing that scared the crap out of him, all of a sudden.

“Hm?  I never even thought about that.”  The alpha was so damn casual, it was causing Sam _even more_ anxiety, because of his devil-may-care attitude.  “I don’t know.  Are you on anything?”

“Heavy-duty suppressants that put off my heat, but I’m not on any birth control.”  His heart was beating like a butterflies wings, because if mating pheromones were off the charts and-

“Chill out, kiddo.”  Gabriel groaned, as though the omega was being overdramatic.  “Suppressants should be fine.  You can only really get knocked up during your heat, and-”

“Gabriel.”  His voice was cold and even.

The archangel peered over to stare into Sam’s eyes with an unimpressed, “What?”

“When Famine…what about when Famine threw me into my heat?   _Fuck_!  That was when I mated _you_!  That’s like, double the likelihood because of mating pheromones _and_ -”

“Sammy, calm down.”  He palmed the omega’s cheek and forced his gaze as he spoke calmly and firmly, “I doubt that was even a real heat, little omega.  It was just crazy hunger hormones rushing through your body.  It was like a spell, think of it that way.”

But Sam’s eyes were still alive with fear as he uttered, “That doesn’t make it any less real…”

Gabriel narrowed his stare and thought about it for a second before he released him.  Then he thought about it for a little longer, leaving Sam to stew about the repercussions the entire time.

Until the archangel finally let out a hearty, “Huh.”

“Huh, what?!”

“That’d actually be a damn good game plan.”  He chuckled and kissed Sam’s cheek with that scheming, impish tone that was meant for Loki, not Gabriel, and the omega didn’t like it one bit.  “You know, if you _did_ get knocked up.  That would mean Lucifer couldn’t wear you to the prom.  Sure, Sam Winchester could say ’yes, hop on in’ but there’d be _another_ soul inside you who isn’t even capable of giving consent.  It’d be a failsafe, one that, no matter what, makes it so he couldn’t break into your locked box.”

“Gabriel…” Sam let out a warning growl, because he did not like where this was going.

“And the _ability_ of a nephil?”  Gabriel’s smirk was widening across his face as he gained speed, “They’re powerful.  Obviously, angels are supposed to kill ’em on sight because when they grow up their strength is unmatched.  I bet it’d be a power keg inside that hot little body.  Lucifer wouldn’t be able to destroy it while it’s growing…”

“Gabriel!”  Now the omega was shouting to get his attention.  “That’s not what I want!  Not _now_!  Maybe…one day…”  He could admit that part out loud.  “But not in the middle of the _goddamn apocalypse_ !”  He used all his strength to roll over and tower over the plotting archangel who looked up at him with curiosity.  “I love you.  You understand that, right?  I love you more than anything.  And I don’t want to have a pup as a _weapon_.  I want…to have one because we want to.  I get it, you’re chaotic neutral, or whatever - but can you respect my choice on this?”

“Well, it’s not like I’m gonna force you down and breed you,” Gabriel answered with a heavy eye roll, surged upward and placed a quick smack of his lips against Sam.  “But there’s a chance it’s already done.  Just sayin’.  It wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

Sam hated the wiggle of eyebrows and the fact that his mate wasn’t the kind of angel who sought moral high ground.  Well, he loved and hated it.  Because they were the same. Except, apparently not, when it came to this matter.  Which was a damn hot topic.

Gabriel soon could see that this was truly bothering the omega on a deeper level, so he looped his arms around the hovering hunter and used a softer voice when he explained, “Hey.  That all just started out as a ‘it’s okay if it accidentally happened’ speech.  And then it got away from me from there.  You know I’m an devious strategist by nature.  We’ll be more careful, okay?  Get on some birth control.  I get it, I’ll respect you and not use a pup as a _perfect_ opportunity to protect you and thwart my bro.”

“When you say it like that…” Sam groaned and collapsed on top of his mate.  “Fuck, we’re dysfunctional.”

“Duh.  Probably why we’re true mates, genius.  C’mon, let’s just enjoy this before we have to head back into the real world,” Gabriel coaxed him with a gentle brush of his lips over the new mating bite.  “You’re _my_ omega and I’ll protect you.  No matter what.  And, oh, I guess I’ll honor you, respect you, and whatever too.”

“So romantic.”  Sam grumbled but nuzzled into Gabriel’s warmth.

“Never promised or signed on for that one.”

“I don’t mind.  I like exactly how we are.”  He sighed and closed his eyes, because Gabriel was right.

They needed to enjoy this while they could.

\----------------

Sam drifted off and when he awoke he was clothed, in the motel room with his brother cleaning their guns.

Dean barely offered a grumbled, “’Bout time,” before he launched into catching some demon signs that they needed to hop on and move out, now that Sam was back.

It made the omega wonder how long he’d been gone.  It couldn’t have been too long, Gabriel wouldn’t have risked that.  He made sure (for the most part) to keep hunting and their relationship separate.  Well, until the things he said last night and this morning.  

Sam couldn’t help but wonder if that meant he’d be around more or not.  The dynamic would shift, it was inevitable, and he didn’t know how his brother would respond to that…but he didn’t flip out about the mark on his neck, so that had to be good news, at least?

The car ride was relaxed.  Sam could feel his body adjusting to the happy buzz of the mating hormones with Dean only teasing him a few times.  Until it wasn‘t.

Soon, almost the _second_ they hit the border of a small city in Minnesota, they found a fucking nest.

Driving in, head first?

Not a good plan.  It was a disaster of a plan.

They weren’t nearly as prepared as they should have been and it’s an all-out fight for survival against too many demons to count.  Their only way out was to full-on sprint for the Impala and fall back.  Except…the way they came in was barricaded, like the demons knew they were coming, and there was no way out.

They were losing blood, their heads had been bashed in enough for inevitable concussions and it looked like the end of the line.  Sam was two second away from praying for his mate until something completely _different_ than an angel swooped in and saved them.

Hunters.

A whole slew of them.  Who used a fucking _fire_ _hose_ that pumped _holy water_ all while they shouted out a mass exorcism - just in the nick of time.

Dean and Sam were wide-eyed and shocked, soon being introduced to the men (not your average hunters, more like parishioners, if you could believe that) who were part of the Sacrament Holy Militia.  Obviously, this was something that piqued their interest and they felt the curious urge to check out.  So they followed with caution, yet fascination.

It was a sight to see, indeed.

Everything and everyone in town was prepared for the apocalypse and a church stood at the epicenter.

Father Gideon, the man who was in charge of the church, was a kind pastor who led the town.  The twist turned out to be his daughter, Leah, was having visions from angels like a prophet.  And her story seemed to check out when one of her visions led them straight to _another_ mass of demons holed up on the outskirts of town.

The brothers went with the group to make sure of it.  But the bitch of it all was one of their hunters, he wasn’t much more than a fucking kid, who wanted to head back with Sam and Dean was taken out by a demon they’d missed.  

Everything happened in a blur.

The parents obviously blamed them, as if the brothers weren't feeling sick to their stomachs about the whole situation already.  They were used to carrying the weight and the incident with the boy was just more heaviness on their shoulders, they hardly disagreed with the parents.  Especially over losing a child...but it was the _funeral_ later that was the kicker.

Leah had another vision.

And she informed the congregation with that end-of-the-world urgency they _must_ follow the Angel’s Commandments.    
  
In every fucking _literal_ sense.  

Like, the Ten Commandments in the Bible.  They weren’t to be take as an outline or a suggestion - if these people want to reach their “Paradise?”  

This was the new rule book.  Their step-by-step guide into Heaven.

Dean chatted with Leah about something, but Sam had his doubts and couldn’t manage to break his old habits.  They were too deeply ingrained into his life, the Winchester life, and the only way he knew how to deal with this shit.  Which meant he needed to clear his head and that navigated him towards the one bar still open.  He needed a drink because the whole town, the whole situation, was just too much to handle without a beer in his hand.

He chatted it up with one of the residents, a legit guy named Paul, who seemed to think half of the crap she was saying was bullshit, too.  But apparently _everyone_ was taking it as the gospel truth, no pun intended.  Fear was such a strong motivator and after all the things these people had witnessed, sure, it made sense.  That didn’t mean the whole situation didn’t reek of something being...off.  
  
The bar was nearly empty, which was why Sam shouldn’t have been surprised when Gabriel strolled right in like he owned the place.

With a chuckle, he waved to his alpha and Paul asked, “Friend of yours?”

And Sam couldn’t help the wide grin when he said, “Little more than that.”

“Oh.  _Oh_!”  Finally, it seemed to click and he flashed a smile when Gabriel hopped up on the bar stool and asked, “What can I get you?”

“Nothin’.  Just checking out how my _lovely mate_ was doing tonight.  But thanks, pal.”  There was a strange inflection to Gabriel’s voice as Sam sipped his beer and Paul took his leave.  The archangel gestured to the drink and asked, “We need an intervention, Sammy?  You’re all kinds of an oblivious target.”

The omega tilted his head in puzzlement about the strange suggestion and shrugged.  “It’s been a…rough two days, I guess.  Needed a break.  What are you talking about?  Target?”

“Duh.”  Gabriel’s voice was walking the thin line on passive-aggressive.  “You think Mr. Bartender was just shooting the shit with you?  He was obviously trying to get you drunk and take you home.”

Sam blinked widely and stumbled over his words, “No, he wasn’t!  What are you-”

Gabriel instantly reached out and unfastened the first two buttons of Sam’s flannel and flicked open the collar to reveal the mark.  “There.  Unavailable.  Maybe you should stop wearing blockers, too.”

“So that’s it?”  He asked with a stupid, intoxicated smile.  “You fluttered your way down here all because you were jealous?”

“You’re mine, brat.  Don’t forget that.”  There was a heated edge to his voice, “I think it’s time we get you back to the hotel.”

“Oh - you’re my babysitter.”  It was an amused statement paired with a raised eyebrow.  “Look, I’m sorry I’m drunk and-”

“Nah, there’s more going on in this town than you know.  I can feel it.  But you better call Cas up, just in case.”  Gabriel hopped off the bar stool and reached back to scoop Sam’s phone from his back pocket, giving his ass a good squeeze on the way.  “Here.  Get the tree-topper in on this.”

With a frown, Sam did what the alpha asked at the same time he shelled out the cash for his drinks, but Gabriel didn’t leave him enough time to say his goodbyes to Paul.  He simply grabbed up the omega’s hand and led him out of the bar.

Although Sam wouldn’t admit it aloud, he thought it was kind of cute that his alpha was posturing.  A little unnecessary, but leagues better than what he was used to dealing with in the past, and that used to be Gabriel’s absence.

An omega could get used to this…

\----------------

When they arrived back at the motel, Sam wrinkled his nose up at the scent of Dean’s stewing.  He could tell immediately he’d been at it for a while and his brother blinked at the fact that Gabriel was actually there.

“So…is this gonna be a thing?”  The alpha rolled his eyes, pointing to the archangel.

Sam wanted to know that, too, and watched Gabriel do nothing more than shrug.

“Depends on whether or not Sammy’s getting into trouble.”

“I wasn’t getting into trouble, I was-!”

“Dude, I can smell you from over here, you’re toast.  What were you doing?”  Dean shot him a look of confusion.

“I was talking to Paul!  And, I gotta say, this town?  All of Leah’s visions are being taken _way_ out of control.  Literally no one is there because ‘drinking is a sin.’  And it’s not _just_ drinking!  It’s no gambling, no premarital sex… which means you’re fucked out of your ticket to Heaven, Dean.  They’re, like, going overboard with every tiny thing she says the angels are saying because they think they’re gonna get locked out of paradise.  It’s messed up, dude.”  Sam was rambling and he knew it, but his conversation with Paul was weighing heavily in his mind.    
  
The ignorance and the start of mob mentality was a dangerous, very real thing-

“It’s not our problem.  Looks to me like they’ve got it under control.  They’ve got a prophet, some badass exorcism, we’re not needed here, Sam.”  Dean put his hands on his hips and shook his head.  “Whatever.  I’m gonna take a walk.  You two…bond, or whatever.  Just don’t fuck all over the place.  I could be back soon and do _not_ wanna see anything.”

And just like that, Dean was gone.

Dejectedly, Sam fell to the bed with sigh and looked to the archangel.  “You said you felt it, right?  Something’s going on?  I’m not crazy?”

“Nah, you’re not,” Gabriel assured him and slung his arm around Sam’s shoulders which reached his hips from where he was standing.  “Although-”

A crash followed by a clattering interrupted them, and they looked over to discover Castiel holding himself up by a wall.  He glanced over at Gabriel and grumbled, “Great.  You’re here, too,” with a sarcastic tone before he announced, “I got your message.  It was long and your voice was grating, I don’t understand how Gabriel puts up with your long-windedness.”

“Holy shit.  Are you _drunk_?”  Sam squinted at him.

“No!  …Yes.”  The alpha finally admitted, because it looked like he didn’t give a shit one way or the other.  Hell, it looked like his feet were about to tumble out from under him.

Gabriel slapped himself on the forehead and dramatically groaned, “I’m surrounded by idiots.  Alcoholics and muttonheads!  What did I do to deserve this?!”

Sam couldn’t help but feel a pang of concern when he asked, “Cas, what the hell happened to you?”

The seraph began stumbling towards the other bed when he recounted, “I found a liquor store.”

“And?”  Gabriel and Sam prompted in a strange unison.

“I drank it.”  He pointed, shifting from foot to foot, “In regards to your _annoying_ message, there is no prophet in this town.  Angels are created with the names of all prophets, future and past, in our ‘programming’ and Leah Gideon is not one.  In addition, she’s dead.  And I’m dizzy-”

Then, as if on cue, he passed out - Gabriel _barely_ able to use his angelic speed to catch the other angel before he face-planted on the ground.  Once he was in Gabriel’s arms, he dramatically heaved him across the space and onto Dean’s bed.

“Jesus fuck!  What’s wrong with you three?!  This isn’t even rhetorical!”  He spun around and asked the other drunk party in the room, this one being his mate.

Sam shot him a puppy dog face that melted Gabriel’s righteous anger and left him sighing.  He took the few steps to settle between Sam’s legs and actually had the advantage to look down on him from where he sat on the bed.  Gabriel palmed his cheeks and tilted his chin up, groaning in accusatory tone, “You’re lucky you’re so damn _adorable_.  Or I’d be ticked off, right now.  You get that, omega?”

Sam couldn’t help but lean into the touch, missing his mate after not even two full days apart.  It was strange, he was used to being so independent.  Now his body longed for their connection.  Sam loved simple, tender moments like this.

But still, he had to quip back, “You’re lucky _you’re_ so damn adorable, or I’d be ticked off you bounced me from a bar because you were jealous.”

Gabriel’s hand moved back just enough to grab a fistful of Sam’s hair and jerk his head to the side, forcing him to bare his neck in submission.

“Oh?  Is that a fact ?”  He leaned down and grazed his teeth along the brand, grinning as Sam stifled a moan.  “Next time I’ll just let you lead the beta on to your heart’s content.  Does that turn you on, Sammy?  Teasing betas when you’re already _claimed_?”

“N-no.”  He grunted out then whimpered when Gabriel gave his hair one more hard yank.  “But, dammit, y-you are turning me on right now.  And I don’t know if this is the right time.”

Gabriel released him with a haughty grin, because he could read every one of Sam’s tells in the omega’s body languages, even if the blockers were hiding his scent.  His mate was getting aroused by a few simple ministrations and that made Gabriel cocky.  

It thrilled him that the omega kept looking over at Castiel’s prone form and finally asked, “Um.  How KO’d do you think he is?”

“You’re a naughty boy.”  Gabriel trailed his thumb over Sam’s slightly parted lips and tutted, “Maybe later.”

Sam made an attempt to snag the offending digit with his mouth, but the archangel was too quick.  “Better be a promise.”

“Mm, don’t go tempting me.”

Gabriel decided to repay the favor of Sam’s obliviousness earlier by teasing the omega to death.  And so he deposited himself into Sam’s lap, straddling him on the bed.

With a gulp, Sam stuttered out, “Who’s tempting who, now?”

“Can’t help myself.  I’ll blame it on the bond,” the archangel answered flippantly.  “What?  I can’t be close to you?”

“You know damn well what you’re doing.”  The omega was as still as a statue and Gabriel was loving every second on it.  “I’m just trying to figure out why.”

“’Cause I love that pretty color of pink on your cheeks when you get flustered.”  He answered the question candidly.  “And it’s your own damn fault you drank and you can’t keep it in your pants.  Sober Sammy would be shoving me away, telling me “to get serious: we’re working a case!”  But drunk you?  No…”  He trailed his fingertips down the front of his shirt.  “You were literally just considering how much we could get away with depending on how unconscious Cas was.  And even that thought delights me.”

“Gabriel-”  It was more of a noise than a sound.  “You’ve made your point.  I get it.  But I’m seriously two seconds away from soaking through these jeans if you don’t stop…”

“Do you want me to stop?”  He asked, all fake innocence.  “Or do you want me to bend you over this-”

The door flew open with Dean shouting, “Sammy, you were right!  They shot Pau-” then he stammered, “ _Goddammit_!  What did I tell you fucking idiots?!” and instead of exiting, snapped his fingers, “Get the fuck off him!  Wait- _Cas_?!”

Dean’s booming voice had the angel in question stirring and grumbling, “It’s starting…”

The alpha did a double-take and looked at the bed past the mated couple, where Gabriel was grudgingly hopping off Sam and patting him on the face, to see Castiel rousing from the bed.  “The fuck… where have you been, Cas?!”

Once the angel righted himself, he glared daggers at Dean (more than likely from a throbbing headache) and snapped, “On a bender.”

Dean’s jaw dropped open and he turned to his brother in sheer disbelief.  “Did he- did you say ‘on a bender?’”

“Yeah.  He’s still pretty smashed.”  Sam noted as he watched the seraph flounder and nearly become tangled in a sheet.  

Like an angelic burrito.

“Speaking of!”  Gabriel tapped two fingers on Sam’s head and announced, “There!  Sober.  You’re welcome, bucko.”

“Huh.”  Dean appraised the archangel and nodded, “Nice parlor trick.  Work for hangovers?”

“Why?  Is that a stipulation for mating your brother?  You want the sought-after miracle cure?”  Gabriel looked unimpressed, but then remembered what Dean had burst into the room with.  “You said the creeper’s done-zo?”

“Creeper?”  Dean echoed in confusion, but continued to say, “Yeah, _Jane_ , happy housewife of all people, shot him because Leah said the angels were _pissed off_ because some people weren’t following the rules and paradise was going on lockdown!  What the hell kind of prophet would say, hell yeah, let‘s go slaughter the sinners?!  I mean, Chuck had every right to be a bitter dude, but even he-”

“She’s not a prophet, Dean.”  Sam wouldn’t admit it, but now that he had a clear head things were coming together much better and he shot a grateful smile at Gabriel.

Gabriel returned it with a lavish wink and wiggle of his eyebrows.

“ _Whore-_ ” Castiel huffed out.

With a stunned looked, Sam recoiled and Dean admonished him, “Cas, I get it, you’re drunk, but you _can_ keep your opinions to yerself!”

“That‘s what I was thinking, bro,” Gabriel nodded to the still-struggling seraph and chuckled.  “Not Sammy.  Well, maybe in the bedroom, but here in town?  We’re talkin’ Whore of Babylon.  She surfaces when Lucifer walks the Earth.  Comes spittin’ out false prophecy, takes a human form, reads minds, the whole nine.”

Castiel finally finagled his way into a somewhat upright position on the motel bed and nodded, “What Gabriel said.  I apologize, Sam, I don’t believe  _you_ a whore, regardless of what your mate sexualizes you as.  I didn’t see the mark earlier.  But congratulations and good luck.”

“Thanks for that,” Gabriel was the one to roll his eyes this time.  “Anyway!  Homegirl’s purpose is to fuck with people’s heads and turn good God-fearing people into sinners and damn them to hell.  Looks like Paul was Jane’s ticket downstairs.”

“How do we kill her?”  Sam asked the next question in line.  “She’s working fast and has the whole community fooled.  If what Dean says is right, Paul was just the start.  They’re _all_ believers and it’s not going to stop until we take her out.”

“Cypress branch,” Castiel finally found his footing and was beginning to act a bit more put together, “Wielded by a true servant of Heaven.  But not an angel.”

The brothers looked between each other, their unspoken language in full effect and when Sam nodded, Dean said aloud, “Pastor Gideon.”

“Oh boy!”  Gabriel clapped his hands together, “Good luck on that!  Getting him to kill his _own daughter_?  Whew!  Work cut out for you, boys!”

“She’s the Whore of Babylon,” Castiel said with the tilt of his head.  “His daughter is dead already.”

“That doesn’t matter, Cas,” the alpha hunter rolled his eyes, “Just…someone go get us a cypress branch and we’ll meet you at the church?”  His focus changed between Gabriel and Cas and back again, hoping the archangel would help out because the younger angel wasn’t looking too hot.

“Yeah, yeah.  We’ll meet you, just go sweet talk the Padre.”  Gabriel waved his hand to get the men moving and headed over to his own brother.  “Cas!  Time to get your shit together, all right?”

On the way out the door, Sam and Dean could have sworn they heard Castiel laughing about how the exorcism she taught the hunters loosely translated to ‘you breed with the mouth of a goat’ but they rolled their eyes and chalked it up to him being drunk.  Sam only hoped that the archangel had enough power to wipe the liquor store from Castiel’s blood stream, too.  God knows he’d end up being more of a liability than not.

\----------------

Somehow, they did it.

The Pastor, while on the brink of tears, made peace with the fact that the small girl in front of him was no longer his loving, kind daughter.  Especially because she had ordered a purge of the sinners in the congregation.  The slaughter was indiscriminate, the elderly, women, children, anyone who the former image of Leah determined to be a sinner, was to be murdered.  
  
Like pigs at the slaughter.

Which meant in the Father’s eyes: enough was enough.

Castiel came back, shiny and new again, holding the cypress branch and handed it over to Father Gideon.

He steeled his nerves and headed out to end the violence, once and for all.

But the Whore wasn’t going down without a fight.

She was prepared for the attack of an actual angel and knocked Castiel flat on his ass, as well as the three men charging her.

The one, single shot Pastor Gideon got on her was _ruined_ \- and in a moment of desperation, Dean had grabbed the flying branch and acted without thinking.    
  
It was a move purely based on instinct: Dean had a _weapon_ , he had a _monster_ pinned, the next logical thing would be to stake the wood clean through and end it-  

Everyone was silent and baffled when he drove the branch through her heart and _killed her_ with the strike.  Even though the act needed to be carried out by a servant of Heaven-

Shock was part of the deal, but it resonated most deeply within Sam…and it caused him immense worry.  

Maybe, fuck, maybe Dean was closer to the side of Heaven than he thought?  When they exited the church he was abruptly blown off by his brother when it came to the subject.  It _meant something._  The omega just…didn’t know what.

When they went to sleep that night, Sam crossed his fingers that Gabriel made good on his promise to visit his dreams.  Unfortunately, the omega was so damn eager to fall asleep and see his mate that he never heard Dean sneak out of the motel.

\-----------------

The alpha walked down a few blocks with a bone-deep tension strung out through his body and only hoped this would work out.  It was always a fifty, fifty chance.  Although lately, the odds were stacked against him and he couldn’t take being ignored tonight.

He eventually stopped on the far edge of the park and closed his eyes tightly.

When he opened them, a disheveled Castiel was standing in front of him with his head tilted and puzzlement in his eyes.  “You prayed, Dean?”

“Yeah.”  He absently kicked at the ground, gravel coming loose under his foot before he decided, fuck it, and took a step closer.  “What do you think about Sam and Gabriel?”

“What do you mean?”

Of course, he wouldn’t get it.

“I mean the two of them.  Being together.  Like, a human and an angel.”  Dean said the words flatly, but internally groaned because how much more _obvious_ could he be?  “Do you think something like that could work?  That it’d stand a chance these days?”

“I know that their bond is true.  And I know that love perseveres.  Why are you asking me this, Dean?”  He pressed further and added in, “I’m confused why you’re concerned about their relationship.  You could just as easily ask your brother or-”

“ _Jesus_ , you’re not getting it!”  The alpha spat out in frustration and rubbed the back of his neck.  “Cas, I-” he tried to start again.  “If there was _one_ person I could see myself with....it’d be you.  If this wasn’t the end of the world and I _knew_ there was a future, I’d wanna try’n see us through.  Or at least, if you’d be willing, you know?”  He reached out and grabbed one of the angel’s limp hands and tried to show him through touch, because his blank face wasn’t working.  “Do you understand?  How I feel about you?”

“Dean, I…”  He cleared his throat and examined their intertwined fingers, experimentally squeezing and watching the way the hunter’s thumb brushed the back of his hand.  “I care about you.”

“Is this the ’but’ coming?”  The alpha felt his heart contract and his lungs tighten.  “You don’t have to say anything.  I just wanted you to know.  I just wanted to make sure you understood.  I don’t need anything in return, just…”  Dean felt his voice on the verge of cracking, “Just don’t say anything.  Just nod and tell me you get it.”

Castiel finally looked back up and did exactly what Dean wanted, because that’s what he asked of him.  He nodded, even though he _wanted_ to say so much more, he'd been...given an order.

The hunter forced a smile and dropped the angel’s hand, jamming both into his coat pockets and pursing his lips.  “That’s all I wanted.  G’night, Cas.”  Then, he turned his back and walked away.

Except, it wasn’t in the way of the motel.  

And Castiel was lost, in a stupor, mind reeling over everything Dean said…there was a niggling ominous sensation in the back of his mind - because it had been in _past_ tense, and he hadn’t allowed Castiel to respond like he so desperately desired to.  Yet, Cas wanted to respect his wishes for silence, so what was he supposed to do?  What was the protocol?

Something was wrong, but Castiel was too flabbergasted to put together the pieces of what.  All the angel knew was that his heart, his own selfish prayers had been answered because he’d loved Dean Winchester for as long as he could remember.  He simply wasn’t aware of the timeframe as to when he could tell him it he felt the same, and so much more.  
  
Human customs, courtship and relationships were still so foreign, so he knew he had to wait.  Too blinded by his own puzzlement, Castiel didn’t even think to find out or follow where Dean had gone from there.


	4. Chapter Three

Sam was furious when he found out that Dean had up and left.  With both himself, his brother and Castiel.  They had all been _so_ goddamn stupid.  He knew right away that his brother had disappeared to say yes to Michael when he woke up to find Cas sitting on the edge of the motel bed (where Dean was supposed to be) and the conversation that the alpha had prompted:

“If someone brings up the fact they wish to be with you and tells you not to respond, yet you reciprocate the feelings…when is the proper time to bring up the conversation again?”  Castiel had asked him with imploring eyes just as Sam was blinking himself awake.

“Wait, whu-?” he asked intelligently.

“Dean prayed for me last night.”  Cas sighed heavily, plowing ahead with no regard for Sam's drowsiness, as he rested his chin on his folded hands.  “He said that if there was one person he could see himself with, it would be me.  I assume it would be romantically, since he prefaced the entire conversation with inquires about my thoughts in regards to yours and Gabriel’s mating.”

“And he told you _not_ to say anything back?”  Sam needed to make sure he was getting all of this right.

“Yes,” the angel confirmed.  “After I thought about it, I came back here because I wished to continue the discussion.  But he never returned.”

“Fuck!”  Sam flew up from the bed and dove for his duffle bag.

Castiel looked alarmed and stood up straight, asking with concern, “What’s wrong, Sam?”

“He’s not planning on coming back!  _Ever_!  He’s saying yes to Michael!”

The omega was moving with lightning speed, popping his suppressants (along with the new addition of birth control), spraying on his blockers, and packing his bag.  He pulled on a flannel but didn’t bother with the buttons, his undershirt would have to do, because they _needed_ to get to Dean before he did the unthinkable. 

“Why would he tell me if he was planning on handing himself over?!”  Castiel surged to his feet and followed right on Sam’s heels.  “That makes no sense!  He was discussing a…” then his words failed him when he remembered, “an unlikely future together…” and wilted.  “No…did I do this?  Did I ruin everything?”

“No, Cas.”  Sam had better things to do than nurse an angel’s wounds, but he felt the need to explain, “Dean wanted to tell you before it was too late.  He wanted you to know that he loved you before this fucking stunt!”   

Just then, a flutter of wings and an archangel appeared in the middle of the room with a handful of coffee and a greeting kiss for his mate.

“Good morning, Sammy!  How’s it going?”

“Not good!”  His eyes were wild as he ignored Gabriel for the door.  “Dean’s left to say yes to Michael!”

“Oh, yes.  _That_.”  Gabriel spun Sam around and shoved the to-go cup in his hand.  “C’mon, doll.  Drink up, you’ll need it.”

The omega looked baffled as his mate stopped him, snapping, “The hell, we _need_ to get a move on!  He could be anywhere-!”

“Well, _I_ know where the dumbass is, if anyone cares!”  Gabriel announced with his hands on his hips.  “I may have eavesdropped on that painfully awkward love confession - nice going on that, by the way, Cas.  That was your cue to drop everything and say you’re gaga for the Ken doll too.  We may have avoided this mess altogether if you had as much brain as heart.  But anyway!  I tailed him, ‘cause I figured I should be on suicide watch.”

“You…”  A rush of relief visibly washed over Sam and he couldn’t help but reach out and wrap Gabriel in his arms.  “You’re amazing.  God, thank you!”

“One, that's not my name.  Two, no need to thank me - I just like the gory details.  Luck was on my side.”  He pecked Sam on the cheek and suggested, “So, wanna location?”

“Just fly us there!”

\--------------------

Wrangling Dean back to Bobby’s was easy.  It was convincing him to stay there that was harder than they thought.

When Adam appeared, the angels having brought him back from the dead?

Shit went to a whole new level.

Gabriel made himself scarce and Sam could understand why.  They still hadn’t been in dire enough straits for the archangel to need to reveal himself to the rest of the “Heavenly Host Club” and Adam was a walking talking beacon until Cas branded his ribs.

Sam was the only one with the ability to sweet talk the new youngest Winchester into giving them time.  Because that was what they needed - just enough time to make sense of things and figure out another way.  Although they stuffed Dean down in the panic room, it was _after_ a well-deserved tongue-lashing from Bobby.  One he needed to hear.

Everything felt so goddamn hopeless, and all they could do was take shifts to watch Adam and hope Dean got his self-sacrificing, stupid ideas out of his head.  Even though saving the youngest Winchester only acted to motivate him further.

\-----------------------

Tossing and turning was nothing new to Sam, but Gabriel showing up next to him in the middle of it all was actually a surprise.

“Hey,” Gabriel soothed, his weight grounding and warm above Sam as he stroked the side of his face.  “You’ve got watches set up.  And you’re no good to anyone stressed and strung out, try to relax.”

With a crooked smile, Sam asked, “Is this you caring?”

“Kind of a lame side effect of the mating, I guess.”  He said it so casually, but his voice was still tender.  “I can sense you angsting from halfway across the globe, kiddo.  That’s gotta take a lot out of you.”

“You were halfway across the globe?  Wow, that’s a lot of distance to put between us.”

“Figure of speech.”  Gabriel smirked at him when he playfully nipped Sam’s bottom lip.  “Anything I can help out with?  You need to be cuddled, or some shit?”

“Yeah, you kind of suck at the caring stuff.”  The omega huffed, then mused aloud, “I think you’d be better at wearing me out.”  He slowly spread his legs, Gabriel shifting for the lower half of his body to fall between them.  “I may be able to sleep then.” 

The alpha raised an eyebrow and placed a long, deliberately seductive kiss on Sam’s lips before he teased, “You can never get enough.”

“Lame side effect of the mating,” he parroted back in a darker tone and brushed their noses together.  “Unless you don’t want to,” Sam drew out the words with a soft rock of his hips against Gabriel’s.

“Mm, I bet I could be persuaded pretty easily.”  The alpha tilted his chin to the side and whispered into Sam’s ear, “If you tell me what you want.”

The question sent a spark of arousal down the omega’s spine and heat pooled in his gut from Gabriel’s promising tone alone.  He took advantage of his mate’s exposed neck and covered the perfect indentation of his teeth with his mouth and sucked.  A breathy sigh was up close and personal in Sam’s ear and he wanted so much more.

But first, he put enough distance between them, just enough to be heard: “I want to see if it‘s different…”  Sam rolled his hips again, feeling Gabriel hardening with every movement.  “The feeling of being fucked…now that I’m mated.”  But then he stopped moving completely and taunted, “Unless you just want to tell me instead of show me.  But I know how you like a hands-on approach…”

“Holy hell, you’re sexy,” he growled out, trying to stay quiet so no one in the house heard them.  “Color me convinced.”

Instead of the shuffle and the tearing of clothing, Gabriel snapped and they were gone.  It caught Sam off guard and he moaned a little too loud at the feeling of their skin pressing together, their hard erections side by side, and his hand flew up to muffle his mouth.  The archangel was wearing a cocky grin and grabbed Sam’s wrist to rip his hand away and replaced it with his mouth.

“Much better,” Gabriel whispered in amidst kisses, as they began rocking their hips in sync.

His hand reached under the covers towards Sam’s legs, tracing patterns in the slick mess between the omega’s cheeks but not slipping inside him.  It was maddening, because every brush against his hole continued to make Sam wetter and wetter and Gabriel was driving him insane with his teasing fingers.

He knew why, when the archangel’s hand reached up and fisted them, coated in Sam’s slick and lazily pumped their cocks together.  Even the touch of a hand job was pushing all the right buttons, and Sam planted his heels on the bed in order to thrust into Gabriel’s grip.  

At the same time though, he pulled away from the alpha’s mouth and stared Gabriel.  “I’m pretty sure my ass would feel better than knotting your fist.”  He angled his hips towards Gabriel’s hip, squeezed him with his thighs and slid down, leaving a hot, dripping mess of slick in his wake.  “I’m so wet for you, alpha, I thought you wanted to make me yours.  Over and over again.”

With a sharp breath and even sharper tone, Gabriel moaned through gritted teeth, “I love it when you’re my slut,” and dropped Sam’s cock to grab the base of his own.  “Think you can take it without my fingers first?”

Sam’s mouth fell open, but he nodded eagerly, “Yeah, give it to me, Gabriel-”

The alpha’s scent was on fire as he slid the head of his dick through the slip and slide around Sam’s hole, pausing for a second to see if the omega wanted to back out before he pushed in.  But instead of saying no, Sam swiveled his hips around the thickness, he started to press harder against his rim and tried to sink down on the alpha’s cock, himself.

“Nuh-uh,” Gabriel grabbed Sam’s jaw and looked him in the eyes.  “You’ll take it exactly how I give it, omega.”

He whimpered from the show of dominance and the strength Gabriel wielded in a few fingertips.  Sam couldn’t understand why it was mind-blowing erotic, but he knew he felt another gush of slick had burst out and down the alpha’s cock.  A wicked grin flashed on Gabriel’s face as watched the rapture on Sam’s as he not-so-slowly pushed inside him.

The omega’s eyes went wide and he was lucky Gabriel had a hold on his jaw, or it would have dropped - he was utterly overwhelmed.  Just taking his cock like this, his body was on fire from a multitude of factors.  Gabriel’s size and the stretch only being one of them.  The mating bond had turned _everything_ on its head.  And the closeness while his body adjusted to the intensity of being so full was a tug-of-war of physicality versus emotions.

When Gabriel bottomed out, he dropped his hold on Sam and stretched his arms to the side so he could balance.

“Fuck, are you tight, Sammy.”  His voice was reverent and needing - he didn’t wait long to start moving either.  “You gonna be able to take my knot like this?”

Sam was distracted by the long, deep thrusts and forgot there was even a question.  He was white-knuckling the blankets and wrapped up in every sensation, every pump of Gabriel’s hips.  It really _was_ different - it wasn’t just the feeling of being fucked, or the alpha’s cock speeding up and pounding into his ass.    
  
It was the black and white facts.

This was _his_ alpha.   _His_ mate.  Forever.  

He knew his alpha was pleasing him and he wanted to give it back just as badly.

Sam tried to arch up and meet the thrust with the same ferocity as Gabriel, and even though his insides felt stretched past their limits, it felt so right.  He reached out and grabbed Gabriel’s hips, digging his nails into the meat under his fingers.  He already knew he was gasping and his words demanding more were being punched from his chest.

Gabriel hooked one of Sam’s legs over his shoulder and shoved the other one down on the bed, changing the angle and stealing the breath from the omega’s lungs.

“Gabriel- I’m already,” Sam’s arms had been shoved away and now he could only resort to clinging to the headboard behind him.  “I’m so-”

“I know,” Gabriel still had that shark-like grin on his face as he sped up the pace, and used his hold on Sam’s hips to pull him in while he fucked down into him.

Sam could feel every second of his knot start to swell, he was hyper-aware and it was brutally hitting his sweet spot, over and over.  As much as he wanted to kiss Gabriel, he was too distracted when he felt the first load of cum fill him and stretch him further, and Sam was spilling all over his own stomach in an instant.

Gabriel’s hand was over his mouth to muffle his enthralled shout.  Sam took advantage of his angelic mate and didn’t hesitate to bite into the thick of his palm.  It made the alpha moan, and his hips slowed down into something more sweet when he got off the second time.

He withdrew his make-shift gag, letting his mate breathe and slowly shifted them to their sides so they could face each other.

Sam felt like he was on another planet, it wasn’t like the actual mating, but it was still so much more intense than when they’d started fucking.  He was panting, but grinned at Gabriel and shook his head at the mischievous look on his face.

“What?”  The alpha asked, running his hand up and down Sam’s arm now that they were close enough.

“You always push me to the limit.  And I love it.  Love you.”  The words came easy these days and he could scent Gabriel felt the same way.

“Wasn’t too much?”  He asked without much care.

“Never too much,” Sam instantly retorted in the same tone then leaned forward to kiss him.

That was something Gabriel easily fell into, and once they were both breathless all over again, Gabriel warned, “Be careful.  I’m still a loaded gun like this.”

With a raised eyebrow, Sam asked, “You could get off from just kissing me?”

“Hey, that’s romantic, right?”  He wiggled his eyebrows, then shut Sam up with another kiss.

Suddenly, Gabriel jerked away with a frown.  “Ah, shit.”

“What?”  The omega blinked openly, “What’s going on?”

“I hate it when bitches kill my afterglow.”  He grumbled and snapped his fingers - both men were now, not only unknotted, but fully cleaned, dressed and the blanket was pulled away.  “Adam’s making a prison break.  Fuck knows where Cas is.  Get ‘im, Tiger.”

“ _Fuck_.”  Sam jumped to his feet and then proceeded downstairs.

Yeah, that was a damn good way to kill the afterglow.  

He hated the apocalypse.

\--------------------

Castiel was stewing and waiting for the right moment.

He realized he’d been foolish and distracted when he heard later that Adam had tried to escape, but Sam had dealt with the matter and now the angel was back to thinking about what was running through his own, personal thoughts.  The dilemma that had constantly been on his mind since the previous night.  Or rather, the person.

The angel stood outside the locked panic room and pitched his voice inside with, “Dean.  We need to talk.”

There was a rustling noise, followed by a grunted, “I’m not talkin’ to you through those bars, Cas.  That’s the least you owe me.”

The angels internally debated about the situation briefly, yet because this was of the utmost importance to him.  He sighed out, “Promise you won’t do anything foolish?  This is…of significance to me.”

His voice was much softer when he replied, “Yeah.  I’ll…go to the other side of the room.”

With a relieved exhale, Castiel returned a grateful, “Thank you, Dean.”

He was cautious when he opened the door and shut it behind him, continuing to keeping guard over the only entrance and exit.  As promised, Dean was on the opposite side of the room - arms crossed and looking weary.

“You wanted to talk?”  The alpha started him off with reservation, his eyes flickering nervously with no destination, just unrest.

“Yes.”  The angel hadn’t realized his own voice mimicked Dean’s demeanor.  “Last night…you wouldn’t let me speak and I wanted to-”

“Ah, cram it.  I don’t want your pity.  I’m sorry I even said anything, I just needed to get it off my chest before I couldn’t anymore.”  He grumbled with evident embarrassment.  “I didn’t exactly think I was going to see you after I said it.”

“You didn’t let me finish.”  Castiel narrowed his eyes, feeling a fierce kind of determination set in his bones.  “I wasn’t aware of the protocol.  But if I had known?  I would have told you right then and there that I feel the same.  That, if what I assume you what you were insinuating was true, that you have romantic feelings for me: I feel the _same_.  I have for a while, but I didn’t know if it was right.  If an angel was _allowed_ to love a human, if…”  He stopped abruptly, picking apart his thoughts before he put them into words.  “I suppose you could say that your brother and Gabriel paved the way.  That was when I accepted it.  And when you told me?  Dean, I _do_ love you.”

The hunter looked shocked.  Completely and utterly shocked.

That was the only way Castiel could sum it up.  For a second, he was worried that he’d read the situation wrong.

So he did the only thing he could do - he backpedaled.

“Unless…you were speaking of deep camaraderie.  Then I feel that as well.  I-” Castiel had never been one to stumbled with words, but now Dean looked upset.  “I apologize, Dean, I sincerely-”

“No!  _No_ , Cas.   _Fuck_ , I love you, too.  That’s why…”  His stare dropped downward, and when he met Cas’ gaze once more, his expression was consumed with sorrow _…_?  It didn’t make sense.  “Please.   _Know_ that I do.  And that’s why I’m _so_ fucking _sorry_.”

“Why would you be sorry if we felt the same?  Why...?”  He tilted his head to the side, but his eyes widened in understanding when Dean uncrossed his arms.

His hand was bleeding.

And when he flipped the table next to him, underneath laid an angel banishing sigil.

“Dean!”  He began to charge, but the other alpha was already swinging his arm and it was- “ _No-_!”

\--------------------

Dean made it out of the panic room with his heart fucking _aching_ after seeing the look in Cas’ eyes and hearing those words.  Words he never thought he’d hear, and words he’d always hoped for - but it’s _too_ fucking _late_.  Dean refused to let Adam be ripped out of Heaven to take his place in this whole messed up shitshow.  As he ran, he already knew that Sam was on his trail, so he had to act quickly.

First sign of religion got a prize.  Which happened to be a preacher on the street, professing the end is near and that’s exactly what he needed to get this show on the road.

He grabbed the man and spun him around, ordering out, “Dean Winchester, you know who I am?”

The man eyes lit up, like he’s the second coming all by himself, and the alpha found it laughable.  Whatever the angels were sending through the airwaves about him was a load of bullshit, but if it worked, it worked.

Before the man could spout any Hallelujah garbage, Dean cut him off.  “Yeah, yeah, you call on those angels and you get them here, you understand?”  He commanded and watched the man fall to his knees and begin to pray with the dramatic flair of arms dancing with his words.

With any luck, they’d be swooping him up and out of here soon.  Before anyone else could stick their neck out there for him.  This was Dean’s responsibility, he wasn’t going to let anyone else take the fall.  Not anymore.  He-

-watched as the pastor fainted on the sidewalk?

Before he could duck forward and see if the guy was all right, two hands grabbed the back of his coat and swung him into the alley.  But not just swung him - _torpedoed_ him into a fence, one that he ricocheted off and was sent spiraling onto the ground.

“You have _got_ to be fuckin’ _kidding_ me.  Were you dropped on your head as a pup?  Or do you have a legitimate medical condition that makes you a certified goddamn moron?”  The same pair of strong hands hooked into Dean’s collar and hauled him clear off the ground and he found himself staring into furious golden eyes.  “I’d kill you.  If they weren’t just going to bring you back.”

“G-Gabriel,” Dean choked out and struggled fruitlessly in the iron-clad grip.  “This isn’t your fight.”

“You know, it shouldn’t be.  And that’s the bitch of it all.”  His voice was a dangerous growl as he recoiled and punched the alpha across his jawbone.  “But unfortunately for me, all the lives you’d ruin with this stupid choice?  Are the ones who _matter_.  You’re my mate’s brother,” he backhanded him with all the force of an incoming slab of cement that nearly knocked the hunter out, cold.

Gabriel waited, his scent swirling with pure fury when he snapped out, “And, even though he’s a pain in my ass, I’ve always felt a little protective over the seraph who’s in love with you,” and sent him flying through the air into a brick wall.

Debris crumbled around him from the impact, and Dean was gagging on the dust and the blood in his mouth.  He struggled to catch his breath and could only watch as the boots slowly moved closer.

“Sammy isn’t saying yes.  He’s holding out hope we’re gonna figure another way around this.  And guess what?  I’ve got a pretty damn good plan.  If you weren’t scrambling off like a fuckin’ _coward_.  I thought you were the stubborn one, Dean.  I didn’t know you’d be the little bitch to crack under the pressure.”  He drove the word home with a swift kick to the already broken man’s gut.  “Now,” his voice was menacing as he crouched, the wrath never dulling as he pronounced, “let’s get your stupid ass back.”

\-----------------------

No one said a word when Gabriel dumped Dean back onto Bobby’s hardwood floor, beaten within an inch of his life, and Sam was grateful he found him at all.

The alpha’s time-out in panic room lasted all of five seconds, since Adam had up and disappeared.   All five assembled in the living room once Castiel reappearing from wherever banished angels went and, while he refused to make eye contact with Dean, he informed the rest, “Adam must be in the green room.”

Dean’s heart fucking hurt in his chest because he knew (even though no one else in the room had a goddamn clue)…he betrayed Cas.

He could see the defeat in the seraph’s slumped shoulders as he looked anywhere that wasn’t Dean.  

He had willingly _used_ the love the angel had for him to trick him and make his escape.  

With the intention of never seeing anyone again.  It was a suicide move, plain and simple.  

God, Dean didn’t blame Castiel, but he knew what he did was the same fucking thing as stabbing him in the back.  What a nice follow up to telling Cas that he loved him.  It was the worst thing he could have done to someone he cared about, let alone loved.

All the wounds that littered his body were shallow in comparison to the pain he felt in his heart.  All the broken bones couldn't hold a candle.

Sam wasn’t looking at his brother either, in fact.  His hand was intertwined with Gabriel who still hadn’t fluttered away - which he was grateful for, when he asked, “Where’s the green room?  Is it somewhere in Heaven?  We need to get to Adam before Michael can come down and jump his bones.”

“Van Nuys,” Castiel answered curtly then paused when he directed his statement over to Gabriel.  “There will be many angels, but I have an idea.  You won’t need to reveal yourself.”

There was a span of silence where no one spoke, but the two celestial beings watched one another intently.  It took a moment for Sam to realize Castiel was telling the archangel his plan telepathically, or however angels communicated, because Gabriel nodded tersely and seemed impressed.

“Okay…” he drew out slowly.  “I think Cas has got this one handled.”  Gabriel turned his body to face his mate, making sure he had Sam’s focus.  “If you need me, pray for me.  I’ll…be there.  I don’t care if I’ve gotta give myself up, I’ll do it for you.”  Then he narrowed his eyes at Dean and snarled, “We _do that_ for the ones we love.  We hang in there.  We go out on a limb.  We take care of our own.”

Then he snapped his fingers, Dean’s body being healed, cell by cell, from the brutal beating he’d taken - but it didn’t make him feel any better.

Gabriel kissed Sam and whispered so no one else could hear, “I know you’ve got faith in your brother, but so did Cas.  And look where _that_ got him.  I mean it, all right?  Shit goes south, call for me if you need me.  I’ll be…running an errand.  Be safe.”

The omega nodded and sighed when his mate vanished.

“Okay, let’s head out.”

\----------------------

Things had gone right and things had gone wrong - but the point they’d won may have outweighed the losses.

Or maybe that was Sam speaking selfishly.

The fact was that he was leaving _with his brother_.  

His brother who had _refused_ to say yes.  Which, all considered, felt like a goddamn miracle.

Dean had a change of heart, he was going to fight as hard as Sam was against the angels.  He was actually going to fight against their destiny, and no one (not Lucifer nor Michael) was going to get that “yes” they were both gunning for.  It felt like Sam could breathe again.  He truly did have faith and hope in Dean once more, he wanted to believe that his brother would snap out of it and realize they were in charge of their _own_ fate - and he did.

But the losses?  Those were heavy, too.

Although they’d managed to kill Zachariah, they’d been forced to leave Adam.  No matter how hard they fought to get him, to get back into that green room, once they opened the door again - he had vanished without a trace.  It had transformed back into a random, dilapidated space - nothing like the lavish room the angels had previous dolled up and constructed.

Neither hunter had seen Cas’ plan to cut through the army of angels coming.  Neither knew what happened to him afterwards either.  It was sheer _genius_ , carving a banishing symbol into his own flesh - that’s what he must have been telling Gabriel - but what toll had it taken?

They were driving when Dean cleared his throat and he finally spoke up.

“Sammy…I told Cas that…I-” he was straining to get the words out.

“I know, Dean.”  Sam decided to put him out of his misery.  “When you were gone, before we put you in the panic room - Cas told me.”

“No, it’s not _just_ that.”  His grip on the steering wheel was tight as he explained, “That’s how I got out of the damn panic room.  Fuck, Sam.  I _used_ him!  He came in to talk with me.  He came in to tell me that _he loved me_ -”

The omega turned his head to see Dean beginning to break down with terror and guilt gripping around the alpha’s throat.

“I-I…I knew that if I could get him to talk with me…if I could get him to just open the door… _God_ , he told me he felt the same.  And I told him I meant it.  And that I was sorry and I used him to make my escape.  I fucking used the sigil meant for  _enemies_ , I used his _feelings for me_ to get the hell outta dodge.  To fuckin’ give up hope and say yes to Michael!  If Gabriel hadn’t found me and beat the shit out of me, I’d…”  He was beginning to tear up and harshly flicked on his turn signal.

The Impala slowly glided to the side of the road because Dean was shaking too hard to drive anymore.

His breaths were coming out heavier and there were tears in his eyes before he got out of the car and violently slammed the door.  Sam quickly followed to find his brother hunched over the back of the Impala and his omega instinct to comfort kicked in, it took precedence above anything else.  And Dean allowed Sam to wrap him in his arms.

“W-What if-”  It was muffled against Sam’s shoulder as he aggressively shook his head.  “What if that was all she wrote?  What if Cas _died_ thinking he was disposable?  That I used him?  Fuck!  I-I can’t believe he did that, I’m fucking scared, Sammy-”

He held Dean tighter and kept his voice calm and gentle.  “Cas is tough.  I’m not saying that didn’t do a number on him, but if he’s gone?  Gabriel would know.  And he’d tell us.”  Sam knew that his mate wouldn’t leave Dean hanging, pissed at him or not, and the omega needed to make sure his brother knew that.  “You just gotta make things right when we get him back, okay?  He did this _because_ he loves you.  He wouldn’t sacrifice himself if he thought you were going to pull another bonehead move.”

Dean sniffled and groaned out, “Or he just wanted to get the fuck away from me.”

“Suicide isn’t Cas’ MO.  He’s a fighter, he’s a _survivor_.”

“Y-yeah.  He is.”  Then with a shudder, he steeled himself and agreed, “I’m gonna make things right.  Just gotta find the poor sonuvabitch.”

The alpha pulled away and watched Sam carefully.  His eyes still glistening when he asked with a hushed, cracked question, “How did you know Gabriel was the one?”

With a scoff, Sam shook his head.  “I didn’t get a choice.  I was under Famine’s influence.”  But then he quickly amended, “But…you just _know_.  It’s tunnel vision.  No one else is on your radar.  Sometimes you aren’t rational, but together you make sense.  It’s…like losing control but in the best way, I guess.”

“Huh.”  Dean just stared at him with his mouth slightly open before he gained momentum and announced, “I’ll fix this.  Fuckin’ hell, _I will_.”

Finally, Sam felt like he could smile and he nodded his agreement.  “I know.  I’ve gotta feeling you guys are meant to be.  We‘ll find him soon.”


	5. Chapter Four

“Elysian Fields Hotel?”  Dean squinted as he read the sign of the building where they had to park in front, due to the torrential downpour.

They could barely make out the vibrant letters because of the beating of the rain but Sam agreed.  “I guess we’re gonna have to stay here tonight.  Unless we want to get swept off the highway.”  He took in a deep breath, reaching for his seatbelt, and asked, “Ready to make a break for it?”

With their duffle bags in hand, weapons already stowed, they took off at full speed towards the entrance.

Once they made it through the door, they froze in their tracks by how… _nice_ the place was.  Even from the lobby, this was a four-star joint - the kind the brothers never even thought about shelling out the (fake) cash for.  Hell, the only time Sam could remember being anywhere _near_ this luxurious was when Gabriel whisked him away to mate him.

“Play it cool, dude,” Dean hissed at him as they approached the front desk.

It was there where a man seemed to be blatantly ignoring them.  Instead, he was typing away into a computer with near super-human fast speed and precision, _obnoxiously_ so.  So they waited, Dean loudly tapped his foot on purpose, while the brothers took that time to check out the spread.

Eventually, they managed to book a room and Dean lit up like the fourth of July when he heard the words ‘buffet’ _and_ ‘pie.’  Sam rolled his eyes while the alpha darted directly for the food and he went to grab a table.

Along the way, Sam was caught off guard to find a gorgeous, dark skinned woman openly eyeing him with no tact, whatsoever.  Yet, her gaze was riddled in suspicion.  He was used to keeping his head down and going undetected (or _attempting_ to, even though his height was usually enough to warrant a glance or two), but she reached out with a long manicured hand and brushed the edge of his jacket, stopping him in his tracks.

“Excuse me.”  Her sultry voice would have enticed the average man, but Sam found it forward and awkward.  “You seem familiar.  Have we met before?”

“Um, no.  I don’t think so.  You probably have me confused for someone else.”  He tried to paste on a smile and politely make his way past, but she was undeterred - probably from the lack of guys blowing her off.

“I doubt it, there aren’t many tall and handsome men around these parts.”  She watched him closely and looked him over from head to toe in an unnerving way.  Then her voice took on an even _more_ seductive quality.  “But perhaps you’re right.  We should change that.  You want to have a drink with me?”

Sam tried to laugh it off with, “You have your choice of _any_ man in this bar, I’m nothing special.  Besides, I’ve got to babysit my brother who’s,” he glanced up and realized with mortification, “got _four_ plates of pie.  Friggin great.”

She laughed along with him and sighed dramatically, “I understand.  But there is something… _very_ special about you.  Have a nice night with your brother.”

Sam didn’t like the way she said “brother,” it was that tone people used when they suggested the hunters were a couple - which happened all too often.  Still, he let it roll off his back and returned the ‘have a good night’ to go find a spot in the corner where he could open up his laptop.  He also watched as Dean obliviously flirted and got turned down, fast, by the same women.  Which made Sam shake his head because that was so...Dean.

“Something weird is going on here.”  Sam stated to both distract _and_ soothe his brother’s bruised ego.  “This hotel?  In the middle of nowhere.  And it’s magically some random safe haven?  This storm is, like, biblical.  Don’t you think we should be doing something other than stuffing our faces?”

Dean glanced up with his cheeks puffed out and appeared offended, but couldn’t say anything about it until he chewed and swallowed so he didn’t choke.  As soon as he could, he shrugged and grunted out, “Well.  Not much we can do about it, like we said.  No drivin’ Baby in this weather.”  He picked at his food until he had his fill, then wiggled his eyebrows.  “Ready to check out our sweet digs?”

Sam shot him a halfhearted bitchface and followed, even though he had this bad feeling.  But it wasn’t just a _normal_ bad feeling, it was a _double-bad_ feeling, if that was a thing.  It was coiling in his gut, pure primitive instinct, and a swirling nervousness in his stomach said that something just wasn’t right.

For some reason, Dean was being exceptionally mature tonight when they came across a newly mated couple two seconds away from straight-up banging in the hallway.  The alpha stopped and openly gawked, while making some lewd comments that had Sam punching him in the shoulder to shut the fuck up.

And, naturally, the couple ducked into their room, all over one another like they couldn't get enough, right next door to the hunters.  Great.

Except, something very strange happened.

The banging that they’d _anticipated_ having to deal with listening to (that consisted of moans and pleasurable screams) transformed into _literally banging_ against the wall.  

So hard in fact, that it shook through the room divider and had the wall quaking.  Sam and Dean looked at each other with both shock and confusion until the noises suddenly stopped.  Like the couple themselves had disappeared.  When they whipped around the corner, they realized that was exactly what happened.  They were missing.  Vanished, into thin air.

That’s when the pieces came together and spoke for themselves and the exploring began: Sam to investigate the front desk and Dean to walk through the halls, searching for EMF.

When neither yielded a lead, Dean grabbed Sam and they decided to turn their investigation towards the hotel itself, rather than the residents.  They started their work in the kitchen.

“Fuckin’ hell!”  Those were the first words Sam heard from his brother in their undercover search, and he glanced back to see Dean with a ladle full of what _should_ have been tomato soup - but there’s an eyeball smack-dab in the middle.  “Did I just have a Soylent Green dinner?  Oh, _God_ , I’m gonna puke!”

But the sound of Dean’s shrill voice carried, and the sound of struggling and thudding fists sprung out from behind the locked door of a cooler.  Both brothers darted out to find a crowd, no doubt those who were next on the dinner menu.  But while they were trying to dig in their pockets for a lock pick, or considering to break the glass for the emergency ax to rescue those fearfully trapped, they were distracted.

Which led to their own goddamn capture.

\------------------

The last thing either of the Winchesters _ever_ imagined that night was being tied up and being held hostage as bargaining chips by a massive gathering of _Pagan_ fucking _Gods_.     
  
Seriously.  What was their life?  As if the apocalypse wasn’t enough, _this_ happened.  And when Sam looked over, Dean appeared as though he was about to piss himself and Sam understood the feeling.

Sam _knew_ he should have went with his gut on this thing.  He knew he should have been thrown off when the woman (who soon revealed herself as Kali the Destroyer, of _all_ Goddesses) had begun to question him.  In a strange turn of events, she was _still_ sending him confused glances.

Yet, she held her poise and tried to direct a meeting that threatened to break out into a hostile environment because of all the volatile personalities and fragile egos.  It was complete bullshit when Baldur said this was a “safe room” because the tension was palpable and then-

All right, Sam and Dean stood corrected.

The last, _last_ thing they could have imagined happened.

_Gabriel_ strolled right through the door to the conference room with a dramatic, “Can’t we all just get along?”

But…he _wasn’t_ met with outrage or battle-ready postures.

He was met with annoyance.  Then he was acknowledged as “Loki,” right away.

_Holy shit,_ Sam thought, this may be their ace in the hole.  The one way they could get out of this mess.  Because all these powerful Gods surrounding them?   _They_ thought Gabriel was one of them.  They had a man on the inside, they had no idea he was an archangel and-

Before they knew it, Gabriel was quipping, having fallen back into his Trickster guise Sam knew all too well, “Let’s let the grown-ups talk,” and snapped them back to their room.

\---------------------

Dean was the first one to let out a giant sigh of relief when they were away from the gathering, while he tugged at his hair and demanded, “Are you shitting me?!  T-that wasn’t…this is _nuts_!  What the fuck is going on?”  Then he turned on his heels and pointed a direct finger at Sam, announcing, “Never thought I’d say it, but I’m damn happy your mate is a little fucker with an in with the other- _other_ God Squad!”

“Can’t celebrate yet, fellas.”  Gabriel suddenly materialized in the room and strolled over to the pair.  “How the hell do you get yourselves into these messes?!  This one in particular!”

“Just get us out!”  Sam jumped to his feet and faced his mate toe to toe.  “Unless you think they actually have a chance at stopping Lucifer.”  The omega paused before his mate could get a word in edgewise and demanded, “Wait, _could_ they?  Holy shit, is _this_ our chance?!”

“No.”  Gabriel dismissed him and shoved Sam backwards, his ass landing on the bed.  “They can’t.  Luci will annihilate them.  And we’re _not_ gonna let that happen.”

“Okay, so let’s vamoose!”  Dean put his hands on his hips.  “We get those poor saps out of the fridge, let ‘em loose and get the hell out of here ourselves.”

“Can’t.”  The archangel offered a shrug.  “Kali’s got you on a lease, Deano.  Blood spell, you‘re bound to her.  But for some reason that she ranted and raved about how  _you_ ,” he turned his attention to his mate, “couldn’t be pricked by the spindle.  Which doesn’t _any_ make sense.  Because blood is blood.”

“Could…it be the mating bond?”  His voice was nearly a whisper.

“That’s what I’m thinking,” Gabriel hummed his confirmation.  “But we can’t exactly leave without Dean.  Which means I need to get his blood back from her.”  His voice was strangely neutral.

“So what’s the plan on that?”  The hunter was silently freaking out, because they’d all felt the massive amounts of power in there.  Most of it radiated from Kali, herself.  “I get you’re sneaky, but-”

“Kali and I had a _thing_.  Pretty positive she still carries a torch,” Gabriel finally blurted out, like a confession.  “So I’m pretty sure I can-”

Sam shot up to his feet and grabbed the corner of Gabriel’s jacket, yanking it down.  His teeth were ground together when he stated, “You _hid_ the mating mark.  You _planned_ on this.  So, what?  You’re going to go in there, play house with her to see if she ‘still has feelings’ and-”

“Sammy, chill out!”  It was Dean who snapped his brother out of the fog he was in.  “What are we supposed to do?  Cause we ain‘t swimming in options!”

But the omega wasn’t paying attention to Dean.  His eyes were still locked on Gabriel.  “You’re stronger than she is.  I know it.  You could go in there, snap her neck and we could escape.”  A growl escaped from low in his throat when he demanded, “Why?”

“Because I don’t want her _or_ any of the other Gods killed, okay?!”  A raw show of emotion emerged from the archangel when he explained, “I’m a runaway!  I left Heaven for a _reason!_ And even though they’re acting like idiots, _those_ are _my_ people!  So no, Sam, I’m not just gonna hop in there and break her neck!  I’m not just gonna go all Holy Rage!  Because _that’s_ what I was escaping from in the first place!  This is the crowd that took me in!  And I want them to make it out on the other side _with_ me!”

“You loved her,” Sam challenged, and then laughed bitterly.  “I doubt your plan is going to work.  Even though you may be hiding me, I haven’t been hiding you and-”

“Uh, yeah, you have,” Dean piped up again, hoping to take some of the heat of Gabriel.  “I actually wondered about it ever since we got here.”

“What?”  The omega’s eyes widened and he darted to the bathroom.

When he flicked on the lights and pulled down his own collar he realized his brother was right.  There was absolutely _no sign_ of the mating mark, whatsoever.  Now, his bitterness turned to resentment and _anger_ when he whipped back into the main room, and glared down his mate.

“What’s _this_?!  How long has this been gone?!”  He didn’t bother to contain his aggression nor brewing rage any longer.

“It was a fail-safe.”  Gabriel crossed his arms and willingly took the brunt of his mate’s emotion.  “In case you were around Pagans who, on occasion, like the flounce around the human world.  They’d be the first to recognize my signature, rather than the _other_ flock of seagull drones.  Pagans get curious, if they feel magic, they-”

“So let me get this straight.”  Sam made a sharp cutting motion with his arm and chuckled wryly, “You hide _yourself_ from the angels.  But you hide _me_ , us, our entire _relationship_ from your happy little Pagan family?  Wow!  I feel special.”

Dean winced at the hint of venom in the words, because that move was a statement.  And he felt for both his brother and the archangel.

“Sammy.”  Gabriel began to approach him like he would a wild animal.  “I’m sorry, it’s just-”

“No.”  The omega wouldn’t be consoled, not now, not about this bullshit.  “Have at it.  Do what you have to do to save your _real_ family.”  And now that Sam was ahead, he didn’t stop, “Also, I _love_ the double standard.  When anyone flirts with me, even when I don’t know it’s happening, you turn into a possessive, controlling asshole.  But please!  Go right ahead and seduce your ex instead of your usual brute force to save my brother.  Because changing it up from fighting to _romancing_ the enemy makes _so much_ friggin _sense_!”

“Goddammit, it’s two completely different cases of me not blowing my identity!  It's witness protection!”  Gabriel was no longer unaffected by the words and they were resonating.  “And I’m sorry I’ve got a fuckin’ millennia worth of past that I-”

Dean suddenly acted, reached out and grabbed Gabriel by the shoulder.  “You’ve got more important things to be doing than arguing right now.  So beat it, kiss and make up later, okay?  I’ve got a feeling we’re on borrowed time.”

The archangel cast a helpless glance to his mate and all but dropped the heated shouts in exchange for, “I’ll be back.  Dean’s right - we’re on borrowed time.  _Please_ , try to understand.  You know how much you mean to me, kiddo.”

Then it was only the pair of brothers left in the room.

Dean hated the weighted silence, because he _knew_ Gabriel was the only one who could save their bacon but he couldn’t really, personally understand Sam’s conundrum.  He understood his little brother was hurt, and rightfully so, but Gabriel was…something different.  He wasn’t human, that was something they needed to remember.  He was on a different _level_ entirely, with problems and experiences that exceeded their comprehension and…it hurt Dean’s head to try to wrap around the concept.

He awkwardly cleared his throat and stated with surety, “He’s not doing this for fun, Sam.”

“How do I know that?  He _only_ does things for fun.  He doesn’t take _a_ goddamn _thing_ seriously.  When shit gets serious, he runs!”  The omega threw his arms in the air.  “Isn’t that the entire fucking point of what’s happening right now?!”

“He hasn’t ran from you.”  Dean meant it with everything he had in him.  “So I think that’s pretty damn serious.”

With a scowl and a shake of his head, Sam snapped, “I don’t want to talk.  I want it to be over.”

The alpha shifted uncomfortably but agreed.  “Okay.  We’ll just wait here in an uncomfortable silence.  And soon, you’ll break through your blockers.  Sounds like a grand ol' time to me.”

“Fuck off.”

\-----------------

“I wondered how long you’d be able to keep away.”  Kali practically purred from where she sat in front of the vanity and slowly stood up when she felt the man’s presence in the room.  “I’m glad you accepted my invitation.”

Gabriel was there with a plastered on, completely fake, grin as he presented her with a rose and a, “You know me too well.”

Her eyes danced across the flower before took it, laughed, and tossed it over her shoulder.  “And you’re trying too hard.”

“I thought you’d appreciate the little extra effort.”  He reached out to cup her face.  “So the gang’s all here.  Now, it’s time to get out.  This isn’t our fight and you know it.”

“Don’t tell me you came here to talk about the idiotic Christian’s Doomsday.”  Kali tilted her chin just enough to nip at his thumb and flick her tongue across the rough surface.  “I thought you’d come here for a reunion.  After all, isn't that what the tacky rose was for, Loki?”  She teased him further by unzipping the side of her dress and letting it drop, pooling around her ankles on the floor.

Gabriel’s stomach dropped in time with the dress.  But…he could see the vial of Dean’s blood on the desk of the vanity behind her.  So he took those few bold steps in, closing the distance between them to get closer to ending this damn spell.  However, in the process, she aggressively raked her hands through his hair and drew their mouths together in a kiss that was all tongue and teeth.

It made the archangel’s skin crawl, everything about it _screamed_ ‘wrong’ and ‘stop’ but the vial was _just_ within reach-

Until she launched her petite frame upward and wrapped her legs around his waist, which sent them crashing to the bed.  Kali was tearing at his shirt, and there was no way he could play this up anymore.  It wasn’t _only_ his heart - it was something so much _deeper_ shouting out at him, thinking of nothing but Sam.

If he had been with anyone else, sure, he could have fucked her.  Then while she was resting, Gabriel could have gotten up to 'use the little girl's room to powder his nose,' snagged the vial and went on his merry way.

But it wasn’t anyone.  It was his _mate_.

And he didn’t have to think - his instinct was ripping her off and pinning her down to the bed to get her arms and body away from him.

“Oh, is your alpha coming out to play?”  The goddess teased, but then her voice turned dark, “Or is your alpha finally coming to its senses and being loyal to it’s omega?”

He was only mildly surprised when he asked, “You knew?”

“Soon as the littlest Winchester waltzed in I knew there was something special about him.  It took me a while to figure out what.”  She began to laugh and shook her head.  “It made sense when I couldn’t bind his blood.  He’s bonded to you, body and soul.  But…your mate’s not _all_ he is, is he?  Now you have an even greater weakness.”

Gabriel was staring down at her with wide eyes, but had to collect himself.     
  
“Kali.  All I want is to protect my mate.  Just give me his brother’s blood and we’ll leave.  And you need to leave, too.  Lucifer is nothing to fuck with.  I don’t want you guys to risk it, I don’t want to see you hurt.”

“Such a sentimental kinda guy.”  Her eyes narrowed and she spat, “Your mate has made you soft,” right before she kicked him off the bed.

It didn’t phase him, although it did put distance between them and right as Gabriel was about to lunge for the glass -

Kali used magic to make it reappear within her grasp.

“You’re a fool,” she mused and marched up to him.  “I’d take your blood, too, but I have a feeling I’d run into the same problem.  You’ve made things difficult.”  Kali trailed a finger down his chest when she asked, “What’s it like to be mated?  I’ve always wondered.”

Gabriel huffed a laugh.  “That’s the million dollar question?  Out of _everything_.  That’s what you want to know?”

“I thought for a brief time we were true mates, actually.”  She was cold in presence and in speech.  “But you were afraid of commitment.  Now, the next time I run into you - you’ve mated.  Not only that, but to a human ?  You must have lost your mind.”

“Love does that.”  His words were honest as he shrugged.

“Let’s test that out, shall we?”  She grinned and whirled her arm above both their heads.

\-----------------

Suddenly, Dean and Sam found themselves back in the same damn conference room, but this time with Gabriel touching down with a jolt next to them.

“Apologies for the intermission,” Kali addressed the group as she very obviously made a show of shrugging the shoulders back on her dress and smoothing down her hair.  “Loki and I had some...catching up to do.”  When she sent him an over-the-top sensual stare, she also casually gestured to his mouth.

Gabriel swiped the back of his hand across it, and he realized it was painted red.  From her goddamn lipstick.  His heart dropped because she winked at him and as he looked over to explain to Sam, there was nothing betrayal and devastation in his eyes.

Dean looked like steam was about to explode from the top of his head in rage, and he hissed, “Did you get it?!”

“Ran into some trouble, but Sam-”

“You mean your dick ran into something.”  His eyes were blank and hollow.  The second Gabriel reached out and tried to give him the real memory, the omega jerked away like he’d been burned.

“No!  Goddammit, Sam, she’s-”

But the next thing he knew, Kali had deposited herself on Gabriel’s lap and announced, “After our reunion, I discovered Loki’s a spy.  Working for the angels.  Hello, _Gabriel_.”

A shocked gasp echoed through the room, but that’s not what the archangel cared about.  Everything had gotten way out of hand, everything was falling apart and he needed to set something right.  Even if it was with this bunch of goons in front of him.

“Fucking Christ!  I’m _not_ a spy, I’m a runaway!  And I’m trying to save all of your asses!  You should all be terrified of my brother and what he’s capable of.  Flash forward?  Everyone’s dead.  These two vessels _aren’t_ bargaining chips because they’re not saying yes.  You kill ’em, the angels bring them back.  You have _no leverage_!  All that’s left is a slaughter!”  Then he glared directly at Kali and shoved her up and off him, taking a stand.  “And you can stop being a petty bitch!  Baldur, don’t worry, I didn’t bone her.  She’s just trying to piss off my mate, ‘cause time’s made her a grade-A cunt.”

“You’re wrong, we're more powerful than your-” she made a daring grab for his sleeve, which caused both the Winchester’s heart skip a collective beat because-

She was most definitely going for his archangel blade.

But Gabriel easily deflected, laughing, “And what would you have me do to prove you wrong, exactly?  You gonna jam that blade into my heart?  Prove that we can be killed?”  He stuck out his bottom lip in a pout, “Oh, Kali.  Now you’re not just dropping to your knees to prove a point, you’re sinking even _lower_.”

A fire literally blazed in her eyes while she snarled, “You little-”

But her rage was interrupted by screaming and the sounds of bodies dropping in the hallway.

That’s when Gabriel froze.

Everyone in the room froze.

Until the archangel uttered, barely loud enough for everyone to understand:

“He’s here.”  His eyes surveyed the scene wildly and he ordered, “ _Everyone out_!  Lucifer’s here, I don’t know which of you fuckin’ muttonheads made the call, but you better get your asses out before they’re fried!”

He grabbed Kali’s wrist and hissed, “I know you and I’ve had our differences, but I don’t want you dead.  You take that vial, you get out with the boys.”

Gabriel marched over and pulled both Sam and Dean up from where they’d watched everything unfold from their seats, and demanded, “Get her out of here.  Sam-” he was looking at his omega like it was the last time, and kissed him hard.  “I love you.  Don’t be an idiot.  Stay strong.”

The doors flew open to reveal Lucifer covered in the makings of a slaughter, proudly wearing a twisted smile on his face.  His eyes lit up with glee as he announced, “Sam!  Dean!  So good to see you again!”

Then his eyes landed on Gabriel in mild surprise, “Brother?  I heard rumors you were dead!”

Obviously the alpha had enough, and rounded up the three, with a gravely determined expression etched onto his features - and Gabriel snapped them into the car.

\--------------------

The insides of the Impala were eerily silent and equally unnerving as Sam shook his head, over and over at the same time Dean cranked the keys into the ignition and grabbed the gear shift.

Sam shouted before the car could lurch into reverse, “ _No_!” and his brother looked at him like he was crazy.

“What the fuck do you mean, no?!” Dean demanded.  “Gabriel’s the best shot we’ve got!  Archangel on archangel showdown!  We’ll be in the way, Sam, he’ll use you against Gabriel!  Then once he finds out you’ve mated?!  Lucifer will _flip_!”

“I can’t leave him!”  His hand was already on the door handle when Kali, of all people, reached out to stop him.

“Sam.”  Her eyes were pleading as she tried to keep her voice calm.  “You _know_.  You _have_ to know _._  If he survives and if _anything_ happened, Gabriel would never forgive himself.  As much as I hate to say it, you honestly are true mates.  And a vessel that close to-”

“Then _you_ know, too.”  He leveled her an irate look.  “And, fuck you!  For trying to make my mate betray me.”  Sam threw open the door and called to Dean, “If I’m not out in ten minutes, leave,” and he ran back inside.

“Fuck!”  The alpha his fists slammed down on the steering wheel and felt his heart in his throat, utterly helpless.

Kali paused in the back seat and reached the conclusion, “This may be the only way.  For both of them.”

“Excuse me?!”  He all but screamed, and stared at her pondering in the rearview mirror.

“I mean it.”  She took out the vial and crushed it in her hand before throwing it out the window, “There.  You’re free.”

Dean rolled his eyes, that was the least of his fucking worries.

\--------------------

When Sam sprinted back in, there was nothing but carnage.  All around laid the massacred bodies of fallen, dead Gods strewn through the halls but he could still hear Gabriel’s voice taunting his brother.

The archangel was still alive, he wasn’t too late!

Sam rushed like a bat out of hell towards the voices and into the conference room as fast as his legs would carry him.

When he appeared, he instantly drew the focus of both men - one’s utter entertainment and Gabriel’s complete _horror_.

“Sam,” he gasped, terrified to his very core.  “Why didn’t you get out?  What are you doing here?”

Lucifer whistled and joyfully exclaimed, “You’ve made this _quite_ easy for me!  Have you accepted my deal?  Have you come to say yes?”

“If you two stop fighting.”  Sam gathered his nerves and strolled into the room confidently.  “I don’t want you to even try to hurt Gabriel.  That’s one of my terms.”

“You fucking idiot,” he heard spat from behind him, and a hand whipping him around as Gabriel placed himself in-between them.  “Why did you come?!  You’re supposed to be burning rubber and getting the hell out!”

The omega shot him a look.  One that didn’t seem to register.

“And why have you shown such interest in my brother?”  Lucifer began to pace and tapped his chin thoughtfully.  “Although, he is _my_ favorite.  I taught him all his tricks when he was just a fledgling.  I had high hopes for him, being so similar to me, and whatnot.  But, as he’s just informed me, he’s a fan a humanity.”  He planted his feet and considered them for a moment, right before guessing, “Or maybe he’s a fan of _you_?”

“Well, he _is_ my mate.”  Sam informed the Devil with all the nonchalance in the world.  “So I guess that would make him Team Humanity.”

That got a visceral reaction from Lucifer.  His eyes darted between the pair and his voice finally raised a lilt in intensity.  His attention was now solely on Gabriel as he asked in a cold, seething rage, “You marred _my_ vessel?  You dared to touch something that wasn’t yours?  That destiny has _chosen_ for _me_ since the beginning?”

“Can ya blame me?”  Gabriel shrugged his shoulders and clucked his tongue, “Have you seen that ass?”

“Brother,” he snarled, “that act is _unforgivable_ ,” his voice was absolute as he wound up with his angel blade and Gabriel followed suit.

Except, Sam was right beside him - blocking him, because there was no way Lucifer could harm the omega.  Even if they were moving lightning fast, darting around one another Gabriel saw the game and stayed close, only making his move when Sam gave him the room to do so.  And it was infuriating to the Morningstar.

To the point he completely lost his temper, and ended up pinning the human and gripping the blade right along his jugular.  “You are a _menace_.  You disobeyed and your blasphemy is intolerable.”

“Careful now, Luci, you’re talkin’ like a real angel,” Gabriel taunted and slammed his angel blade down from over top where Lucifer had his mate pinned.

While he dodged in time to avoid the kill-shot, Gabriel still struck him in the meat of his shoulder.  But when Lucifer next moved - he was sloppy.  

"Sam!" A horror rushed through the alpha for his mate and time froze as he looked down at his omega, Lucifer not even an afterthought.  Because in his hasty escape, Lucifer had drug the archangel blade along _Sam’s chest_.

But…instead of blood gushing from the deep wound - a brilliant  _light_ shone through and burst out from the torn gash - reaching past Gabriel and burning Lucifer’s skin like fire.

The archangel shouted out, scorched from the energy along his already boiled flesh and fell back with the demand of, “What the fuck is this?!”

Gabriel’s breath was taken away, because _he knew_ _exactly_ what that was.  

And he gleefully announced, “I’d hit the road, Jack,” and watched as the panic and self-preservation instinct kicked in for the Devil.

Fear of the unknown was always a great danger, enough so that Lucifer _actually_ retreated.  For the time being.

The moment he vanished, the alpha crashed to his knees, pulled Sam up to his chest and wrapped him in his arms.  

The light dimmed to a soft glow, healing over everything in its wake until the damage left behind was a simple scratch and a ripped shirt.  The omega mumbled out a simple, “Ow,” from where his mate had a death grip around him.  

But that didn’t stop Gabriel.  He engulfed him with his limbs, legs also pulling Sam in tightly, and shook the terror away from his body.  He cradled Sam’s face with his palms and pressed their foreheads together.

“That was so goddamn stupid, kid.  You didn’t know if it would work,” he mumbled but took in every touch, tried to connect their bodies in every way before he whispered hesitantly, “…how long?  How long did you know?”

“It was when Kali kept looking at me the second we walked into the damn hotel.”  Sam sighed heavily, trying to catch his breath as the adrenaline from the fight died down.  Yet a whole different kind rushed through his veins.  “When you told me she didn’t know we were mated.  I knew she had to be seeing something _else_ , instead then.  I could feel her, I don’t know...her _energy_?  It was reaching out and touching this...other energy in me.  And then I figured it had been there for a while.”  His words, his voice was quaking just like his form.  “And then it _clicked_.  Just…little things lately.  They added up.  And when I was in the Impala, when I decided I had to come back, something she said to me made it _real_.”  He glanced up just enough to catch Gabriel’s eyes.  “…Did you?”

“Kali made it official,” he conceded, upset he hadn't realized it for himself.  “Why didn’t _you_ tell me?  The second you had a feeling.  I could have-”

“I didn’t know if I wanted it to be real.”  Sam was ready to admit it, as well as the real reason:

“And…I was worried you’d turn it into a weapon.  You had already talked about it.  I was scared.  Really, really fucking scared.  I didn’t want it to be a weapon.”

With an actually chuckle, Gabriel kissed him and rolled his eyes.  “Hate to break it to you, but that’s kinda what you just did.”

“I thought you were going to die,” the omega weakly defended.  “I _can’t do this_ without you.  I couldn’t let anything happen to you, Gabriel, you know that.”

“I know, babe.  And we did it,” he reminded him and squeezed him within his grasp just to make sure Sam knew they _had_ made it, they were here and tangible, through physical touch.  “Plus, I’ve gotta plan to throw Luci back into his cage.  Since he’s pissed, and you dropped the 'mate' bomb.  Damn, kid, he's gonna be on our asses like never before.  We gotta get to work on it, okay?  But…”  There was a true, honest and wide smile on Gabriel’s face when he added, “We gotta take care of you, too.”

“Don’t hover.  I’ll _hate_ it if you hover.  And let’s not…tell anyone yet, okay?”

“Unless Kali already spilled it all over the Impala,” Gabriel muttered and blew out through his lips.  “Kinda her style.  Ruining everything.  But, okay.  We’ll keep it on the down-low as long as we can.  Ya know.  Until we _can’t_.”

Sam was quivering again as he muttered, “Oh my God.”

“Hey, we’ll be fine.  I’ll be good.”  Gabriel began to steal sweet, chaste kisses.  “I’ll be good to you.  Anything you need.  And, hell, anything you _don’t_ need, you just tell me.”

The omega appreciated every moment of it and returned each press of their lips, because his world had been rocked and he was still in disbelief.  But maybe…he _could_ do this with his mate by his side.  

He felt more confident, Gabriel was making him feel better.  He was saying all the right things and it was reassuring his inner omega.  Hell, it was making him _happy_.  Even if the timing was all wrong, maybe there never was or would never be a ‘good time’ in their lives.  Sometimes Sam felt like they were cursed, no matter what.  

But this?  It didn’t have to be a curse.  Maybe it was a blessing...

Nothing could wipe the smile off the alpha’s face when he finally said the words against Sam’s cheek.  “ _Holy shit,_ I can’t believe we’re having a pup.”

“Heh, I can’t either,” Sam sighed out and sunk back into the kisses, trying to ground himself by holding tightly onto Gabriel.  He needed him as his rock, and maybe everything _would_ turn out all right.  “We’re gonna make this work.  We will.  Together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it - the end of the second installment! :D I hate to stop here, but I felt like it was the PERFECT spot for those readers who aren't the biggest fans of the (obvious) new themes that will be present in the final work. I wanted everyone to be able to enjoy as many parts as they could, but I'm _also_ hoping everyone wants to read through the end!
> 
> I've been so spoiled by all your amazing comments and feedback! There won't be as much of a time lag in-between this piece and the next, as there was between the original (which was the A/B/O BB) and this addition. I'm hoping to release it much sooner because I love the direction it continues in and can't wait to share!
> 
> I was so happy to be able to keep up with a weekly posting schedule even if it was a shorter work :) It gave me a sense of normalcy back in the midst of all the Big Bang writing, and it was all because of the support and love all of you have given me! Each and every kudo and every comment is inspiration, you're such a massive part of why I write!
> 
> Thanks again to my beta [dr-dean](http://dr-dean.tumblr.com/), my amazing [reaperlove](https://reaperlove77.tumblr.com/) who goes so far out of her way to spoil me with art, and everyone who has given my Sabriel works a chance! <3
> 
> So very excited to share the final installment of Playing Charades with you! xoxo


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